The Blue Notebook

West African Lentil Okra Stew

2011-06-07T09:36:00.003-04:00

Another FAST and tasty recipe from the vegan cookbook Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It is very filling, and the okra adds great flavor! Note the number of servings - this is a great soup to make for guests. Otherwise, freeze the leftovers.

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups red lentils (I just use regular lentils from the average grocery store)
2 T tomato paste
1/2 c. smooth, natural, no-salt peanut butter at room temperature
4 T Dr. Fuhrman's VegiZest (I use Vogue VegeBase instead)
4 c. carrot juice (I use tomato juice, as pure as I can find)
2 cups frozen chopped onion (to save time; but I usually just chop a fresh onion since that's cheaper)
16 oz. frozen okra, thawed and cut in half crosswise (um, I just buy frozen okra that's already chopped and throw it in the pot, still frozen)
16 oz. frozen chopped kale or collard greens (I use frozen chopped spinach since it's easier to find - although the kale and collard greens have a higher nutrient density, so they would make the soup more "filling")
1 15-oz. can whole no-salt crushed or chopped tomatoes
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tsp chili powder
Pinch cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS
In large saucepan (HA! more like "super-large cooking pot"), simmer red lentils in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes.

In mixing bowl, whisk tomato paste, peanut butter, VegiZest, and carrot juice [or various substitutes], then add to simmering lentils. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Uncover and simmer another 20 minutes.

One serving contains:
[Remember, this is an ENTREE soup, hence the higher numbers] Calories 413.6, Protein 23g, Carbohydrate 65.2, Fat 9.5g, Sodium 137.9mg

Walnut-Pear Green Salad

2011-06-03T09:01:00.003-04:00

This salad is like a gourmet salad one would order at a restaurant. I know I say "YUM" all the time on these recipe posts, but it IS good, and I am picky about what salad I like! The recipe is from Eat for Health by Joel Fuhrman.

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 min.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces (about 8 cups) baby salad mix [I get a big box of spring greens]
2 ounces (about 2 cups) arugula or watercress [I skip these since they're expensive and just add more of the other greens ALTHOUGH watercress is very nutrient dense and thus very filling]
1 pear, grated
1/4 cup currants (raisins)
1/4 cup walnuts, crushed or chopped
2 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's D'Anjou Pear Vinegar or balsamic vinegar [I just use white balsamic pear-infused vinegar that can be found at Publix]
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup walnut halves (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine greens with grated pear, currants, and walnuts.

Toss with vinegar and olive oil. Top with sliced pears and, if desired, walnut halves.

One serving* contains:
Calories 145.9; protein 1.6g; carbohydrate 35.5g; fat 1.3g; sodium 4.6mg

*That is, provided you use the arugula/watercress...

Egg-Sausage (Breakfast) Casserole

2011-05-10T11:55:00.003-04:00

My MIL got this from a magazine several years ago. Great for feeding company on Christmas morning! And it doubles easily.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb mild ground sausage
1 lb hot ground sausage
1 30-oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c shredded cheddar cheese (or more!)
6 large eggs
2 c milk (at least 2% or higher - anything less will make it too runny)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook/brown sausage until it crumbles. Drain fat.

Prepare hash browns according to package directions. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and the pepper.

Stir together hash browns, cheese, and sausage.

(NOTE: The above steps could be done the night before to save time in the morning.)

Pour sausage mixture into greased 9x13 pan.

Whip milk, eggs, and 1 tsp salt together. Pour over sausage mixture in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Then watch as your guests or family scarfs it up!

(And I can't resist saying, that subject-verb agreement there at the end IS correct....)

Vegetable Garbonzo Wrap

2011-02-18T19:02:00.003-05:00

What a blah name for a great meal! I instantly became addicted to this. It was pretty easy to prepare and DELISH! Not to mention healthy, incredibly filling, and yummy. Recipe from Eat For Health by Joel Fuhrman.

Serves: 4 (so the book says, but we got 6-7 wraps out of it; probably depends on how large your wraps are - we just used large tortillas rather than huge wraps)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 large tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped (I used to hate avocadoes; I'm now a convert!)
1 cucumber, chopped
4 leaves romaine lettuce, shredded
1 15-oz. can garbonzo beans (low or no salt), drained and mashed (though I didn't mash them)
2 T fruit-flavored vinegar (I used 3T because the flavor was so faint; I think I used a pomegranate or blueberry vinegar)
4 whole grain tortillas (again, we used large ones, but not "wraps")
1/2 T raw sesame tahini (I didn't measure, I just slathered it on)

Directions:
1. Chop vegetables
2. Toss vegetables with garbonzo beans and vinegar
3. Warm a whole grain tortilla, spread a thin coating (I did thick!) of tahini on it, and roll with the vegetable/bean mixture.
4. ENJOY THE DELICIOUSNESS!

If you want to make these for lunch the next day, obviously you can skip the "warm tortillas" step. I went ahead and made the leftover veg mixture into more wraps for lunches. You'll need to use saran/cling wrap to keep it together instead of a sealed bag. (Think of how Moe's wraps their stuff.)

One serving contains:
Calories 555.8; Protein 20.7g; Carbohydrate 84.8g; Fat 16.9g; Sodium 364.4mg
And before you go thinking, "holy cats that is a ton of calories/protein/etc." remember that (1) this is VERY filling - you eat one or two of these and you'll be stuffed and not eat anything else for a LONG time, and (2) the only processed part of this meal is the tortillas. It's HEALTHY and pure, for heaven's sake!

Who Am I?

2011-01-09T15:01:00.001-05:00

A wonderful reminder of who we are in Christ, from today's sermon. I was writing very fast to keep up, so some of these are shorter than what was on the screen.

Remember who you are!

WHO AM I?

I am the salt of the earth. (Mt. 5:13)

I am the light of the world. (Mt. 5:14)

I am a child of God. (Jn. 1:12)

I am part of the true vine. (Jn. 15:1)

I am Christ’s friend. (Jn. 15:15)

I am a slave of righteousness. (Ro. 6:18)

I am a joint heir with Christ. (Ro. 8:17)

I am a new creation. (2 Cor. 5:17)

I am a temple where God dwells. (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19)

I am a member of Christ’s body. (1 Cor. 12:27, Eph. 5:30)

I am reconciled to God, and I am also a minister of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:18, 19)

I am a saint. (Eph. 1:1)

I am God’s workmanship, His handiwork born to do His work. (Eph. 2:10)

I am a citizen of heaven. (Phil. 3:20)

I am a child of light, not of darkness. (1 Thess. 5:5)

I am a member of a chosen race called by God. (1 Ptr. 2:9-10)

I am an enemy of the devil. (1 Ptr. 5:8)

I am born of God. (1 Jn. 5:18)

He justified me. (Ro. 5:1)

Tonya's Sausage and Peppers

2011-01-01T18:24:00.001-05:00

Had this at John's grandparents' house when we visited them before Christmas. Yum! It's John's aunt's recipe. And that is a lot of apostrophes (correctly used, for the record!).

Sausage and Peppers

1 lb of whichever kind of sausage you like (you can mix hot and mild)
2 onions sliced
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
4-6 potatoes
1/2 cup water

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Slice onions on the bottom. Cut peppers and potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Take skin off the sausage and cut into pieces. Add water. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Pinto Bean Burritos

2010-11-13T20:44:00.005-05:00

Found this recipe in the October 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping. It was pretty easy to prepare, and while it wasn't "super-fast," it was quick enough to make (not too complicated or anything). It tasted like something you get at Moe's. Very good. And the leftovers make a great lunch the next day!

Pinto Bean Burritos

Serves: 4 main-dish servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes

2 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil [I hate using oil, so I used water instead]
2 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
3/4 cup(s) water
1/2 cup(s) quick-cooking brown rice [I used 1 cup of regular brown rice, so it took longer]
2 can(s) (14 1/2 ounces each) no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoon(s) orange juice
Salt
Pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
4 (12-inch) burrito-size whole wheat flour tortillas [the package I bought had 5 wraps, and we could have made 6 wraps with the amount of "filling" that was made]
1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup(s) salsa verde
2 avocados, pitted and peeled [I used ready-made pure guacamole instead]
2 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice

Directions:

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium until hot. Add garlic and cumin; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until just golden. Stir in water and rice; cook as label directs.
When rice is cooked, to same skillet, add beans, orange juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring to combine. Cook 5 minutes on medium or until beans are heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in green onions.
Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on High 1 minute. In large bowl, toss lettuce and salsa verde until combined.
In medium bowl, with fork, mash avocados and lime juice until almost smooth. Spread avocado evenly on tortillas. Divide bean mixture and lettuce among tortillas. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll around filling. Wrap each burrito tightly in waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Tips & Techniques:

Look for 12-in. whole wheat wraps if you can't find whole wheat flour tortillas.

Nutritional Information (per serving): About 670 calories; 21 g protein, 102 g carbohydrate, 20 g total fat (3 g saturated), 18 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 770 mg sodium.

Herbed Pita Chips

2010-07-25T15:42:00.007-04:00

Just made some AWESOME pita chips after getting ideas from other recipes online. John LOVED them. Here's what I did*:

Ingredients:
Whole-wheat pitas (package of 6)
Oil (safflower or olive)
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Garlic powder
Salt (preferably sea salt)

Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.

1. Pull apart whole-wheat pitas (from 1 package of 6) so that you have 2 halves of each pita, for a total of 12 rounds.

2. Pull apart each round into small chip-size pieces. Not rocket science here, no scissors necessary, no perfectly cut triangles.

3. Toss these torn pita pieces in a bowl with 1/2 cup oil (I used safflower oil, but you can use olive oil). Get some salad tongs and toss them until well-covered with oil. Might be able to get away with only 1/3 cup of oil, which I'll try next time. Less oil is a good thing.

4. Get out your dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Shake the basil and oregano over the pita pieces until mostly covered, don't be shy on the amount. The pieces should be covered in flakes. Now shake the garlic powder and salt lightly on top of the basil and oregano - not nearly as much. Toss well with salad tongs and repeat a few more times, maybe 4 times.

5. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet and add the pita pieces.

6. Bake 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Stir pita pieces.

7. Bake 4 more minutes. Stir.

8. Bake 2-4 more minutes. Be careful to make sure they don't brown too much or burn! I let it bake 4 minutes this last round, and they turned out ok.

9. Let cool. Then enjoy some awesome pita chips!

Servings: Um, 4?
Calories: probably a lot, given the oil.
Fat: ditto.
Taste: Awesome.

*This recipe is an example of exactly how I used to NOT do things: pinch of this, dash of that, etc. How much IS a pinch?? I hate vague recipes that assume you know what you're doing. I DON'T! That's why I'm using a recipe! But here I am, creating a Vague Recipe. Hm.

Black Bean Dip

2010-06-02T21:22:00.004-04:00

This is the first recipe I made myself. I got inspiration from other black bean dip recipes but didn't like any one in particular, so I combined the elements I liked and experimented. I was also trying to duplicate this yummy dip from the grocery store, making my own cheaper version.

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 T lime juice (or juice of 1 lime)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T dried cilantro
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle Seasoning Blend*
Salt and pepper to taste

Mash ingredients together with potato masher or in food processor until desired consistency (more chunky or creamy).

*Skip the Mrs. Dash and add 1/2 to 1 tsp more chili powder

I also have a small container nearby when I make this, to combine a second round of the dry spices. That way the next time I make the dip, I just have to add the wet ingredients to the already-mixed dry spices. Time saver!

(And it's mostly vegan, if you made your own salsa and skipped the Mrs. Dash.)

Joke's On Me

2010-05-16T15:50:00.004-04:00

It's only the fact that I keep much more paper than I should (even though it is properly labeled and filed) that I discovered hard-copy proof of God's sense of humor.

Exhibit A: As a high school senior, when asked that perennially annoying question, "What do you want to do after high school?" I was quick to answer: go to college and major in English. The inevitable follow-up response: "What are you going to do with that, teach?" SIGH. I don't know why everyone thinks that the only occupation for an English major is to teach English (or become an editor, which every English major secretly dreams of but only a lucky few manage to achieve). I had no idea what I wanted to do AFTER college, except for one certainty, which I voiced over and over and over again: I DO NOT WANT TO BE A TEACHER. A terrifying idea for an introverted nerdy bibliophile.

Yet as the years passed, my neat little file system contained a folder called "Teaching Ideas," which occasionally increased in thickness ... until the day when I pulled it out because I was actually a teacher in need of Teaching Ideas.

Good one, God.

Exhibit B: My hobbies and interests included reading, journaling, swing dancing, reading, scrapbooking, running, reading, and organizing friends and relatives' closets, bedrooms, and offices.

Yet as the years passed, my neat little file system gained a new entry called "Organizing Business." Even though I always thought, I will NEVER EVER OWN MY OWN BUSINESS. A terrifying idea for an introverted scaredy-cat who did not inherit a lick of business sense from her banker father. Until one day when I pulled it out because I was in fact starting my own organizing business.

Got me again, God.

It might be time to go through my papers again - and see what's around the bend. Who knew file folders could predict the future?

Ridiculously Awesome Thing #4: The Book of Awesome

2010-05-15T10:53:00.006-04:00

I started a little list on here (a long, long time ago) highlighting Ridiculously Awesome Things.

Turns out someone wrote a book on many awesome things called, appropriately, The Book of Awesome, which appreciates both grandly awesome things like #964 - The day when you first realize you can drive and the simple things in life, like #837 - Pushing those little buttons on the soft drink cup lid.

The author's blog is what started it all, and now the awesomeness has spread to the bestseller list. I'm challenged to continue adding to my own list!

What awesome thing have you uncovered recently?

Weird Candle Science

2010-05-12T13:33:00.004-04:00

I wanted to set out some candles today now that (1) I've glued together the one candle stand that's been holding up the process and (2) I remembered I own candles, and came across this while unpacking the box:

There's a vivid red candle in there that has apparently dyed the paper towel AND the plastic baggie AND the items that were around this candle! (Just more baggies & paper towels, nothing important thank goodness.) The candles have been packed like so since May 2009, exactly one year ago; none of the other red/colored candles bled like this (har har punning again). I wonder what dye was used for this particular candle. I'm glad nothing important got permanently dyed this time; I will make sure that candles never touch anything important in the future!

September in May

2010-05-05T21:36:00.003-04:00

I've been feeling REALLY guilty about neglecting my little blog [see previous post date] and have decided on a return trial run to see if I really care about continuing this or not since Facebook has pretty much taken over the world.

So I've been accepted as a non-degree student in the graduate school at UCF. Going to take some classes to bump up my graduate English credits so I can teach at the (lowest!) college level. Back to school after years of being out. The last class I took was an education class (several, actually) to bring me up to speed for teaching certification. Those were interesting and (somewhat) helpful in my everyday teaching but definitely cannot be classified as academically rigorous like I fully expect with these grad classes.

John and I have often reflected on our lifelong never-gonna-happen dream of being permanent students, but now that I'm back in the game for a semester, it's still a little scary jumping in again. Here goes.

Fearful People vs. Faith-filled People

2009-07-24T18:48:00.004-04:00

I read an article that reflects on Psalm 37 in Revive, the publication of Life Action Ministries where my brother works. This recent issue was about fear and worry - how appropriate for these times!

Here's the last section, that I need to put on a poster and hang on the wall or something:

"Faith is the antidote to fear. Fearful and faith-filled people experience the same circumstances, but faith-filled people respond by depending on God. Am I a fearful or a faith-filled person?"

There's also a comparison chart that highlights how the two different types of people approach life's trials. I had to check off all the statements on the "fearful people" side. Ouch. Need to read up again on God's promises - and His faithfulness (ahem, which was also the topic of last week's sermon!).

Leftover rum? No problem!

2009-06-18T14:18:00.002-04:00

My only experience with rum has been watching Jack Sparrow sing its praises on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. But there was almost an entire bottle leftover after Matt made tiramisu the other week. I was going to make peach cobbler one night but instead searched for a recipe with peaches and rum. Since that required grilling, and it was already 90 degrees outside, I changed it a bit and came up with this:

Peaches 'n Rum

6-7 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
Sugar
Cinnamon
Chopped almonds (though I used pre-sliced almonds as a shortcut)
Rum (approx. 1 tsp per peach)

After preparing the peaches, I lined a 9-inch loaf pan with aluminum foil and put the peaches inside. Sprinkle liberally with sugar and cinnamon, then add some of the almonds on top. I poured 6 tsp of rum on top, then closed up the aluminum foil tightly and put the loaf pan in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes (until the peaches are cooked).

Whipped Topping:

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Splash of rum (optional!)

Whip cream until almost stiff, about 1 minute. Per Gail's advice, I added a splash of rum. Then slowly add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks.

Er, since there was still almost a whole bottle of rum left, I made this again the next night, but with 3 medium-sized apples. Yum!

Still Scrapbooking

2009-05-14T12:14:00.004-04:00

I'm finally done organizing our (one-room/closet) living space at the in-laws. We can't leave stuff out since they are showing their house to sell it, but I'm ready to work on scrapbooking (and then putting it away when done for the day).

Here's what it all looks like.

And yes, those are some of my shoes in unused CD/DVD towers that my BIL let me use! (The rest of the shoes are in storage.)

Encouragement on Sunday

2009-04-20T08:48:00.004-04:00

The sermon at church yesterday was simple but powerful. Thought I'd share some points that really encouraged me:

Redeemer Presbyterian
April 19, 2009
Dan Seale
Luke 24:13-35
"Burning Hearts"

-On the cross, Jesus had said, "It is finished" triumphantly, but the disciples and His followers only heard defeat

-The disciples felt that Jesus had let them down with His death on the cross, that He had disappointed them; they were probably angry and confused

-The same thing happens to us when things don't turn out the way we think they should. Satan steps in with the age-old lie: that God doesn't care and doesn't love us. We think, "If God really loved me, He would [fill in the blank]."

-These 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus weren't theologically ignorant (v. 19-23), but they still didn't "get it": In verse 21, they say, "we had hoped ...." They were looking for an earthly messiah to rescue them from the Romans.

-These disciples had read the Scriptures selectively and believed selectively

-How often do WE read the Bible selectively, and believe selectively??

-Disappointment is a function of expectation.

-We have expectations of Jesus for things He never promised (like the classic "God wants me to be happy" - the Bible never says that!).

-And we're surprised when we receive what He DID promise (suffering, hardship).

-V. 25-26: Jesus wants these disciples to examine the Word

-V. 27: Instead of doing what He did with Thomas ("See, My hands, My feet, My side; it really is Me, risen"), Jesus explains the Scriptures to these 2 disciples --- He wants to Word to take root in their hearts. He reviews the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and how they have now been fulfilled.

-Their hearts were "burning" not necessarily because they were speaking to Him in person (they didn't even know it was Him at the time), but because He was speaking to them about the Word

-When was the last time your heart "burned" from reading the Word?

-Don't read the Word out of your life and experiences; read your life and experiences out of the Word

-The disciples urged Jesus (the "stranger") to stay with them because it was probably late; they had come all the way from Jerusalem and it would have been unsafe to continue on the road at night. BUT after their "eyes were opened" and they realized they were with Jesus (then He disappeared), they left right away (v. 33) to make the long trek back to Jerusalem to tell the others that they had seen Him and talked with Him.

-The good news of Jesus and the Scriptures prompted them urgently to share the truth with the others.

-God comforts His people through His Word

Our trip to Belgium and France 2009

2009-04-17T09:28:00.002-04:00

My husband is more on the ball than I am - he's already posted about our trip here. And if you're on Facebook, you can check out our pictures on his profile. We had a great time learning about WWI and WWII history, as well as taking long walks around Paris. My high school French came back to me (with some review), and I didn't verbally embarrass myself too much. Vive la France!

Italian Pasta and Bean Bake

2009-03-19T10:01:00.004-04:00

Made this eeeeasy dinner last night, from the amazing book Saving Dinner the Vegetarian Way. The Saving Dinner books all include grocery lists, weekly menus, and recipes, including side dish suggestions. No-brainer meal planning that keeps the family healthy! (Other Saving Dinner books: the Basics, the Low-Carb Way, Through the Holidays.)

Italian Pasta and Bean Bake

Serves 6

1 pound penne pasta
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (26-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning (I probably used 2-3 tsp)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and return to pot. Add tomatoes, beans, pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and 1/2 of the cheese.

Transfer to an 11x7-inch baking dish. [I used a 11x9 dish....]

Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese melts. [It only took 5 minutes to melt the cheese.]

Per Serving: 580 calories; 11g fat; 28g protein; 93g carbohydrate; 10g dietary fiber; 34mg cholesterol; 1125mg sodium. Exchanges: 5 Grain (Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with a large green salad and some garlic bread.

Ridiculously Awesome Things #3: Wordle.net

2009-02-27T10:44:00.007-05:00

I discovered this amazing website from a digital scrapbooking magazine: Wordle.net. The site creates a customizable word cloud from any text you provide, and you can do significant tweaking to achieve the look you want. The text came from my "O History" journal entries. Here are my two results:

Using "Chilled Summer" colors and "Gnuolane Free" font (using our favorite colors):

Using "Loved By the King" font and "Heat" colors:

Like I said, ridiculously awesome.

Awesome Banana Pudding

2009-02-16T17:45:00.005-05:00

I tweaked this recipe from a colleague. I could eat an entire pan by myself.

Serves a crowd (or a very selfish 1!)

2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding
1 box of instant banana cream pudding
5 cups of vanilla milk (or regular milk)
8 oz. Cool Whip, refrigerated temperature not frozen
8 oz. sour cream (trust me!)
5-6 bananas
vanilla wafers

1. Line a 9x13 casserole dish with vanilla wafers.
2. In a separate bowl, cut up bananas (mash some, slice some).
3. In a large mixing bowl, make pudding with pudding mix and milk, following directions on the box(es).
4. Fold sour cream and Cool Whip into pudding.
5. Fold in bananas.
6. Pour mixture into 9x13 dish on top of wafers.
7. (Optional) Crush some of the remaining wafers and sprinkle them on top just before serving.
8. Enjoy the awesomeness!

Cilantro Spice Paste for Fajitas

2009-01-26T10:41:00.004-05:00

I got this recipe from my new cookbook, Simply In Season, which, if you've never heard of it, is AN AWESOME cookbook.

Anyway, I'm trying to move away from the easy dry sauce packets that stores have for fajitas, enchiladas, chili, gravy, etc. and make my own, to save money and promote better taste. One of the many nice features of Simply in Season is that many of the recipes have a foundational section to the recipe, then several spice/taste variations below, so you have more options.

The fajita recipe had two options, and I made the Cilantro Spice Paste:

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
2T soy sauce
1T oil
1T chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
juice of 1 lime

Mix together. Coat meat well with cilantro paste [strips of chicken, sirloin, or steak; I used portabello mushroom strips]; let stand at least 15 minutes. Stir fry over high heat in 2T of oil. Remove from pan and keep warm while stir-frying vegetables. [Since I used mushrooms, I stir-fried the vegs first, added the paste, and then added the mushrooms.]

It tasted SO good. I even made this when we had company over, even though it was my first time making it. I NEVER have company over when I'm making something for the first time.

Ridiculously Awesome Things #2

2009-01-21T16:21:00.014-05:00

Italian paper store called Fabriano with centuries of expertise in making quality paper supplies. They sell stationery, pens, pencils, sketch books, children's stationery items, calendars, some office supplies (cleverly fashioned), and a host of other things. I held myself back from buying one of everything in the store the first time I visited there, limiting myself to two journals.

My second visit, I was compelled to buy a dachshund keychain made from leather:

Fabriano:

Established: 1264 (as in, A.D.)
Personally Discovered: 2007 in Rome
Products: Awesome

Ridiculously Awesome Things #1

2009-01-21T15:51:00.004-05:00

So I was in the midst of yet another sugar craving in the midst of a house empty of sugar-filled items. (Except for sugar itself, but that would be gross to eat straight sugar. I'm not that desperate.)

Yearning for something sugary, I remembered - there's leftover generic Cool Whip in the freezer from John's birthday last week! Crisis averted.

Don't worry, I only ate 2 bites (ok, more like 5). But as I put it away, I thought about how I am a Cool Whip fanatic (generic equivalents also accepted).

It's not only sweet, but delicately sweet, so that your taste buds aren't overwhelmed to the point of throwing up. I seriously could eat an entire bowl of Cool Whip. Never have though. Perhaps I should add that to my list of things to do before I die? But only after I'm 80, when it won't matter if my teeth fall out.

Our First Raleigh Snow

2009-01-20T08:36:00.002-05:00

Woke up this morning to thick snow falling. It was beautiful! Here's Darra checking it out:

When we went outside, she bounded in the snow like a rabbit, excited. I had to calm her down so she'd do her business instead of play!

Pear-Shaped Women: Hold Your Head High

2009-01-07T15:29:00.002-05:00

A new study has found that "pear-shaped" women (whose buttular area might be larger than the rest of their body) may be protected against type 2 diabetes. Read about it here.

An excuse to let the Thighmaster collect dust? I think so.

Unfurnished House: Day 7

2009-01-06T08:33:00.002-05:00

Until our PODS come on Jan. 6, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

Unfurnished House: Day 1

Unfurnished House: Day 2

Unfurnished House: Day 3

Unfurnished House: Day 4

Unfurnished House: Day 5

Unfurnished House: Day 6

Day 7: Sunday, January 4, 2009

Get up around 8 a.m. to get ready for church.

Go to Redeemer Pres about 15 minutes away, where John has visited before. Some of the guys there are going to help us move in on Tuesday night! Very kind of them to help virtual strangers!! We talk to several people after church, all quite friendly. This may be the church we end up at.

Darra is crazy glad when we get home. We eat leftovers from last night. Yum!

Watch some Reba.

Clean the upstairs bathroom since my father-in-law is coming tonight. He’ll be commuting from Atlanta and staying with us part of each week. John reads.

Start cleaning the baseboards upstairs when Darra starts barking madly. Father-in-law has arrived much earlier than expected. Unload his Suburban, which has boxes of our china and boxes of liquids from our house (like liquids from the pantry and cleaning stuff).

Unpack some of the boxes while John and his dad talk.

Make dinner.

Watch some Reba and Kitchen Nightmares. Work on putting dates on this year’s calendar (2009).

John goes to read upstairs.

Post to blog. Check email. Check Facebook.

Walk Darra one more time.

Try to decide if this post will be last installment of Unfurnished House. Technically we have one more day of Unfurnished House on Monday, but it will be a BUSY last day before the PODs come on Tuesday.

Go upstairs to read before bed.

Unfurnished House: Day 6

2009-01-04T20:49:00.002-05:00

Until our PODS come on Jan. 6, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

Unfurnished House: Day 1

Unfurnished House: Day 2

Unfurnished House: Day 3

Unfurnished House: Day 4

Unfurnished House: Day 5

Day 6: Saturday, January 3, 2009

Got up by myself at 8:30 a.m. to take Darra out. Not freezing cold outside but foggy.

Make a smoothie for breakfast. Waste time on internet.

Tired of sitting upright. Go upstairs to read a book in bed.

Eat lunch. Watch some Reba.

Walk to Starbucks in the shopping center across the street to read on a couch. Stay for 2 hours.

Get back, walk Darra.

Watch more Reba.

Go to the nearby mall that’s 5 minutes from our house to scout for supper. (John’s dad said to have dinner on him.) Everything at the mall has too long of a wait on a Saturday night after New Year’s (maybe next time, Cheesecake Factory!), so we head back to the shopping center across the street from our neighborhood.

Go to the local Italian place in the shopping center. Inside looks nice; the wait is an HOUR. But we opt for eating outside and are seated immediately. The food was VERY good, even in spite of having just watched multiple episodes of Kitchen Nightmares the past few days (about bad restaurants). We will definitely go there again.

Return home. Watch some more Kitchen Nightmares. Go upstairs to read before bed.

Unfurnished House: Day 7

Unfurnished House: Day 5

2009-01-03T08:57:00.003-05:00

Until our PODS come on Jan. 6, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

Unfurnished House: Day 1

Unfurnished House: Day 2

Unfurnished House: Day 3

Unfurnished House: Day 4

Day 5: Friday, January 2, 2009

Got up at 6 a.m. with John. Checked the weather online. Supposed to rain today. Supposed to rain on the day we unload the POD next week. Went back to bed.

Wake up again at 8:30 to pounding. Wonder if someone is in the house. Darra is on alert but not barking, so it can’t be a dangerous situation. Wonder where noise is coming from. Possibly from next door. Pounding nails and hanging pictures at this hour?

Take Darra outside. Eat breakfast. Think about what needs to get done today, like the kitchen, which I deliberately didn’t clean up yesterday so I’d have something to do today.

Waste time on internet.

Work on my sister’s resume.

Post to blog. Waste more time on internet.

Go downstairs to get something. Lie on floor, stare at ceiling. Darra whines to go outside, but it’s muddy in the backyard.

Eat lunch and watch more episodes of Reba.

Spend half the afternoon writing a review of the book Forsaken by James David Jordan.

John calls. Drive to bank to open new account.

Return home. Take Darra out for first time since this morning. (She never rang the bell.)

John gets the mail. Get several Christmas cards and newsletters from friends. Decide Christmastime is the best time of year to move – guaranteed mail from people you know.

Watch more episodes of Reba. Make dinner. Get craving for pudding. Or cake. Or ice cream. Mostly pudding though. Can’t have it. Can’t afford extras right now. As soon as the POD comes, and we unpack, I can make a smoothie and pour it into the push-up pop containers I bought a long time ago for frozen treats when I have an ice cream/dessert craving.

Watch episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. Both of us would really rather read, but there’s no comfortable place to lounge. John decides we should go to Starbucks or something tomorrow for couches to read on. Darra will just have to live with it for a few hours.

Go upstairs to read in bed.

Unfurnished House: Day 6

Unfurnished House: Day 7

Unfurnished House: Day 4

2009-01-02T10:30:00.004-05:00

Until our PODS come on Jan. 6, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

Unfurnished House: Day 1

Unfurnished House: Day 2

Unfurnished House: Day 3

Day 4: Thursday, January 1, 2009

Got up at 8:30ish a.m. since John has the day off (January 1). John took Darra outside.

Made breakfast: a smoothie. Would rather have hot oatmeal, but it’s packed, and I refuse to buy some when we already have it, technically.

Start laundry load.

Waste time on internet while John finishes his book.

Go to the nearest Lowe’s to buy wood planks. The decks on the 2nd and 3rd floors have a gap beneath the railing that is big enough for Darra to slip through if she’s determined enough to end everything. The wood planks will solve that problem. We discover several other stores around Lowe’s. Drive around that area some more.

Go home and eat lunch. Watch some Reba. Stare at the wall.

I suggest we discuss furniture placement. Walk around the house deciding where things will go when we unload next week.

Next week seems so far away.

John doesn’t want to stay and watch more TV, so we take Darra with us to drive around some more, using my printouts of places I’d looked up. Takes the rest of the afternoon. Discover lots of stores and shopping centers. Realize now we know where all the stores are that we’d want to go to, and they’re all within about 15-20 minutes of our house, but … none of them are close to EACH OTHER.

Get home. Watch some more Reba on the plasma TV. Watched an episode of Bones. Getting really tired of having no couches to sit on.

Work on LinkedIn profile while John watches the Bones episode. Wonder if “systematization” is a word. It is.

Watch some episodes of Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. Vow to avoid restaurants as much as possible.

Walk Darra. Very short walk.

Watch some more Kitchen Nightmares. Read a book before bed.

Never did write any resolutions today, the first day of the new year.

Unfurnished House: Day 5

Unfurnished House: Day 6

Unfurnished House: Day 7

Unfurnished House: Day 3

2009-01-01T10:18:00.005-05:00

Until our PODS come on Jan. 6, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

Unfurnished House: Day 1

Unfurnished House: Day 2

Day 3: Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Get up at 6 a.m. with John. Once John closes the bathroom door, shutting Darra out, she goes to a pile of dirty laundry (darks) and lies on John’s dirty underwear, staring at the closed bathroom door.

Take Darra out, implement Fiendish New Potty Plan: If she doesn’t go in the first minute or two, I take her back inside. When she does do her business, she gets a treat immediately. She already knows to ring the bell to go outside, but now that we don’t have a doggie door and a fenced yard, I’m re-training her to go outside and go IMMEDIATELY, so I’m not standing there in the cold. She’s got to learn now that every time she goes outside, it’s NOT necessarily a walk!! After a minute or two this morning, I make a move to go back inside, and she halts, not budging. Immediately goes potty. I think she’s starting to get the picture.

Start laundry load #3.

Eat breakfast, go online. Post to blog. Check email. Check Facebook. Update Amazon wish list.

Think about getting dressed since it’s 8:30 a.m.

Reboot laundry. Get ready for the day. Wash down shelves of laundry room cabinets and store stuff there.

Hand wash some dishes. Clear off the counters and find a way to organize all the random paper and pens that don’t have a home because we don’t have desks, so they’ve been all over the place. Feel good about cleared countertops.

Reboot laundry. Start load #4.

Think about the fact that today is Dec. 31. Think about making resolutions, as I eat some chocolate. Ponder that this is the first year we’ll be alone for New Year’s Eve not by choice.

Look up directions to the nearest Costco, hoping it’s closer than BJ’s or Sam’s, which are both at least 20 minutes away.

Feel guilty about ignoring Darra, who looks especially pathetic. Take her on walk to neighborhood next door.

Eat lunch while watching Reba. See that the 2 newest episodes of House are on hulu.com!!

Reboot laundry.

Figure out directions one more time for hitting two stores in one trip. Take deep breath, leave Darra UNgated!! (since it’s obviously pointless), and gear up for serious driving in Raleigh.

Head out onto I-440, the loop around Raleigh. Eeeks. End up at the nearest SuperWalmart, about 15-20 minutes away. The store I patronize the most isn’t close anymore!

Also excited to see a pet store AND an Aldi’s across the street from Walmart. Yay! Aldi’s is probably the only store cheaper than Walmart!

Before going back home, I have to call John to ask him which exit we are on 440, which direction to go, etc.

Manage to make it home. Wonder how Darra fared while I was gone for 2 hours. But apparently John got home right after I left, so we still haven’t left her for a significant period of time.

Unpack groceries. Watch some more Reba. Make supper. Watch another episode of Wire in the Blood. Cannot get warm. Wrap up in afghan.

Walk Darra in the freezing cold. It’s a short walk. Thank goodness, she does all her business, so we’re not going outside again.

Try to figure out how to maximize bedding and pajamas for optimal sleeping. No socks or sweatshirt: too cold. Socks and sweatshirt: too hot, then sweat, then get cold from sweat drying. Really want my own pillow and bed, which are inaccessible for another week at least.

Waste time on the internet.

Read before bed.

Unfurnished House: Day 4

Unfurnished House: Day 5

Unfurnished House: Day 6

Unfurnished House: Day 7

Unfurnished House: Day 2

2008-12-31T07:26:00.007-05:00

Until our PODS come on Jan. 6, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

Unfurnished House: Day 1

Day 2: Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Get up with John at 6 a.m.

Take Darra out. She only does half her business, but I’m too cold to care that I’ll have to go back out again soon. She’s distracted by every noise and enjoying herself. I’m not.

Eat breakfast. Darra also eats hers, which is good. Unload dishwasher. Make list of things to do today.

Back upstairs to unpack John’s remaining bags that he brought home yesterday. 4 piles of laundry to do.

Shower. Start first laundry load. Set timer downstairs in kitchen to remind myself the laundry is up there by the bedrooms.

Eat breakfast. Check email. Check Facebook. Post “Day 1” to blog. Ignore timer for laundry. Realize too much time has been spent online this morning. Typical.

Reboot laundry upstairs.

Feel guilty about ignoring Darra. Bring her toys to basement level where there’s carpet and play with her. Liveliest she’s been (INside the house) since we arrived.

Eat a snack.

DSL guy comes to set things up. While he’s busy, I do a walk-through for the rental company to indicate any pre-existing defects in the townhouse that they haven’t caught. I’m pickier, so I write down more than they did on the form. Don’t want to have to pay for damage that we didn’t do.

Check on laundry. Open double doors of laundry closet to find water dripping from cabinet knobs. Didn’t realize it would get that humid in there. Will keep closet doors open from now on. Discover that dryer didn’t dry at all. Change setting and try again. (We don’t have our washer/dryer now anyway, but when the POD comes, we’ll keep them in the garage instead of lugging one set down 2 flights of stairs, and lugging ours up 2 flights. Then repeating in reverse when we move out in 13 months.)

Walk Darra. She stops at the base of the stairway to each house, thinking it’s ours. (The front door of each house is on the second level, so you have to walk up a flight of stairs to get there. The stairs end at the sidewalk.)

Finish walk-through of house. Darra sleeps in sun on second-level deck. I scrounge for lunch. Spend way too much time on Facebook.

Reboot laundry. Discover that the lint trap in the dryer is NOT REMOVABLE. What kind of dryer is this. Does GE want the house to burn down around us? Have they not read the studies that show how easily lint in a dryer catches fire?? Reconsider switching out their dryer for ours, even with lugging up and down stairs.

Darra sleeps in sun on deck outside the kitchen while I look up dog parks in Raleigh.

Waste time on Internet.

Answer question on phone for person who replaced me at my job when we moved.

Reboot laundry. Take Darra outside to do her business.

Tired of house. Gate Darra into our bathroom, then go to mall down the street to check it out.

Crabtree Valley Mall is probably the biggest I’ve ever been to. It has a major parking garage that is, frankly, confusing and intimidating to someone who is the polar opposite of adventurous!! I’m mentally exhausted just trying to get in and park.

Walk the mall all the way around on level 1, then on level 2. Feel like a Mall Walker. Consider joining their Mall Walker group (hey, one holiday mall sign said that the mall walkers had a holiday party and got treated by Trade Secret!). Lots of “northern” fashion that is unfamiliar, but I would never wear anyway. (Try knit knee-length dress with tights and boots.)

Stop at a styling salon for prices. Stop at Payless. Stop at Franklin Covey store. Weirdly excited that there’s a Franklin Covey store! Never been to one. Linger for a long time, looking at planners. Wonder if I could get a part-time job there. And then get discounts.

Finish up at the mall, ready to go home. Mission accomplished: got to know the mall, and didn’t buy anything. Next hurdle: trying to get out of the parking garage. Even though my M.O. is to return the exact way I came in since by default it’s already “familiar,” that way involves awkward awful left-turn intersections in the parking garage. So I go out the back way, which is not familiar. But successfully leave the mall.

Come home to find that Darra broke out! She somehow upended the gate in the master bathroom doorway and has been trapped instead in the carpeted master bedroom. Good thing I shut the door just in case. Relief: no bathroom accidents or chewed up items. Just a wildly ecstatic dog who has no idea that we’re bummed the gate is no longer effective.

Darra and I go for our first mail run at this new address. We have real mail!

John comes home. We look up directions for how to get to various stores. Darra starts to play with her toys, the first time she’s done so by herself since we arrived.

Start dinner. Watch Reba on the plasma TV. Talk to John’s mom on the phone.

Clean up from dinner. Watch a British crime show, Wire in the Blood, on the plasma TV. Eat a British dessert called spotted dick.

Walk Darra, work our way through the neighborhood next to ours. Start a new book before going to bed.

Unfurnished House: Day 3

Unfurnished House: Day 4

Unfurnished House: Day 5

Unfurnished House: Day 6

Unfurnished House: Day 7

Unfurnished House: Day 1

2008-12-30T10:02:00.009-05:00

We won’t get our storage PODS back until Jan. 6 because of the holidays and high volume of business (I guess a lot of people are moving this month using PODS). So our (rented) townhouse currently houses one queen-sized air mattress (note to self: THANK MOM for perfect, unrequested Christmas gift!!), and some items that came with the house: an ironing board, plastic deck furniture outside, a washer & dryer, and shoe shelving units in the master closets (must tell Mary!!). Until The Day The PODS Come, I’ll be living in an unfurnished house with a dog, the Internet, the stuff we brought in our car, no job, and no cable or rabbit-ear TV.

A.k.a., The Simple Life.

Day 1: Monday, December 29, 2008

Got up with John at 6:30 a.m. (I think). Tried to wake up while John took a lukewarm shower since apparently the water heater wasn’t working properly. Got dressed, knowing I’d have to take Darra outside on a leash soon.

Try to convince John to have a bowl of cereal before going to work, then realize I had spoons but no bowls. John took a breakfast bar to work instead. He fixed the water heater before he left; it had been on the “vacation” setting.

Took Darra outside. Not too chilly, just comfortable with a pullover. She sees a rabbit and tries to take off. Have to re-orient her that it is POTTY time, not PLAY time.

Back inside, the iPod Bose unit is unpacked and the iPod set to the playlist Hymns. It was 7 in the morning, and now that we’re in a townhouse, we have neighbors on both sides of the walls. Have to be volume-conscious.

Want to start unpacking the few kitchen boxes we brought with us in the car, but I’m starving. Start hunt for plastic bowls instead. Jackpot: first box. Eat cereal with skim milk instead of rice milk for the first time in 2 years. Darra watches me, and ignores her own breakfast.

Start unpacking the kitchen boxes, including the ones that John brought from his car. Last night before coming to the house, we had driven to John’s work and got his car that he’d left there before Christmas. It had all his stuff in it that he’d used while renting a basement in Raleigh since the beginning of November (while he commuted, and I stayed in our house in Georgia). Darra climbs into her bed (which I’d put in the kitchen so she’d have a soft place instead of hardwood floors) and stays there looking woeful.

All (few) kitchen boxes unpacked and half put away, I reach a stopping point as I can’t decide exactly where I want things to go. (No sense putting them away only to take it all out and rearrange later.) Even though the kitchen cabinet layout is almost identical to the one in our former house, I still can’t decide where I want things. The cabinets ARE about 6 inches taller, and there are enough minor differences between kitchens that I can’t just use the exact same storage plan. Darra still ignores her breakfast.

Abandon kitchen and decide to take a break. Realize it’s only 8:45 a.m. Feels like afternoon. Put away packing materials from unpacking kitchen boxes with several trips down to basement/garage level where all boxes will end up eventually. Clean up a bit in kitchen. Think about kitchen cabinet arrangement. Rearrange the few cans and items in pantry.

Head upstairs to bedroom, the only place to “sit down” inside the house. Turn on computer and connect to someone else’s wireless network (our wireless will be set up tomorrow). Sorry, Foley network, it’s only for 1 day. Check Facebook. Check email. Email John to see if there are any folding chairs at work for him to borrow and bring home. Email everyone in my Contacts that we have a new address. Go to www.hulu.com to watch 2 episodes of Reba from Season 1. Darra still hasn’t eaten her breakfast.

Put computer away and unpack my suitcase in the master bedroom. Think about what will go in the large, separate his/her walk-in closets. Rearrange the small, unattached cabinets and shoe shelving that came with the house in the closets. Consider unpacking John’s suitcase. Leave it unpacked.

Start to unpack the toiletry bags in the bathroom, stop to go downstairs, get a cleaning washcloth, and come up again to wash out the bathroom drawers and cabinets. Not because they’re unclean; I’m just picky. See black scuff marks on some of the doors up here. Go down 2 flights of stairs to basement level to get Magic Eraser. Come back up and remove black marks. See serious dust on baseboards, top of doorway moulding, and in ridges on doors. DO NOT start cleaning all that. Save it for later. Continue to unpack bathroom stuff until finished.

Step out of bathroom to realize that Darra has taken up residence next to the sliding door in our bedroom that leads to a balcony. She is konked out in the sunlight on the floor. Decide not to go down another flight of stairs to get camera. She’d move anyway.

Look at clock and realize John could be home for lunch soon, and I still don’t have makeup or hair done. Do that. Brain starts thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. Moves to thinking about what we’ll do for Dec. 31 to celebrate. Acknowledge, probably nothing. Darra is still sleeping hard in the sunlight on the floor. Think about walking her, but John will be home soon anyway.

Decide to create blog post of what to do when there’s nothing to do. Write.

Realize it’s past lunchtime. Go to microwave lunch and see a metal rack in the microwave that is in fact part of the microwave, as it rests on built-in pegs. ???! Wonder what in the world is going on there. Remove metal rack and finish with lunch.

Feel very guilty and decide to walk Darra. Explore neighborhood, not as complicated as it initially looked in the dark last night. Close to a lot of other neighborhoods, which is good for walking the dog and running.

Need to go get groceries so we don’t eat out tonight. Must leave Darra for first time, gated in the bathroom, when she’s used to having a doggie door to the outside and therefore free rein in the house.

Go to grocery store, which thank goodness is basically across the street from our neighborhood. No need for complicated directions. It’s similar to Publix. I only buy things from my list, keeping in mind that we’re paying for a mortgage AND rent in January.

Come home just as John is pulling in. We manage to get both cars into the tiny box that is billed as a two-car garage. He brought home chairs from the office, so we won’t have to eat dinner standing up. Darra is ecstatic that we’re home. She finally starts to eat.

John works electronic magic and hooks his computer to the plasma TV that came with the house (which is located in what normal people think of as the dining room). Darra climbs into her bed, again woeful and forlorn. Probably wondering where her couch is. We watch some Reba as I make dinner.

Though it’s dark out, we walk Darra and see how people have arranged their furniture in the front living room that can be seen from the street. A surprising number of people haven’t pulled their curtains or blinds closed yet.

Return to thinking about kitchen. Decide where everything will go. Agree with John’s mom, who said I have more kitchen stuff than she does. Almost done mentally organizing kitchen with items I have to recall from memory, but get tired of it. John goes upstairs to read.

I give up on planning the kitchen. Walk Darra one more time before bed. Some old guy down the street watches to make sure I pick up her poop. Clean up kitchen, run first dishwasher load, clear countertops. Finally decide on kitchen organization. Each cabinet has a post-it note on it with what will eventually go inside. Feels good to be done. Head upstairs to read my book before bed. Surprisingly full day, no boredom.

Unfurnished House: Day 2

Unfurnished House: Day 3

Unfurnished House: Day 4

Unfurnished House: Day 5

Unfurnished House: Day 6

Unfurnished House: Day 7

Things I've Learned From My Husband

2008-12-16T13:12:00.007-05:00

Well, a few things. I am supposed to be packing up our house right now.

(1) Simplicity. Sometimes as I'm cleaning, I'll notice an item that I've had for years and think, "Do I really need to keep this?? Why do I have it?" And the voice in my head is John, trying to make our lives easier. (Not to mention, saving us headaches in the future when we're packing said items. Ahem.)

(2) The art of self-evaluation. If John wasn't so cynical, he would make a great psychologist. He has a gift for reading people. (But no one would visit a psychologist who would say, "The solution is simple: Stop being an idiot and don't do that anymore.") In our four years of marriage (anniversary on Thursday!), he has come to know me better than I know myself. Seriously. He'll point out things that I never realized about myself (both good and bad). It's shocking. I'm either frightfully oblivious to some things or in serious denial. I'm working on getting to know him just as well, though I know I'll never be on the same par.

(3) Frugality. (Stop snorting, John.) It's true. I AM more frugal than I was when I was single (which amounted to about 5% frugal). The percentage still isn't as high as I - or John - would like it to be, but more often, I do find myself thinking "Why do I need to buy this?" when I'm still IN the store, which is even better than thinking it the next day and then returning something.

(4) Relaxation. Anyone who knows me fairly well knows that I like to be efficient. Not necessarily in a multi-tasking sense, but in spending every minute completing tasks and crossing things off my infinite to-do list. In my mind, there's ALWAYS "something" I could be doing. If I need a break from computer work, I can go do laundry or pull weeds. I'll read a book for pleasure as a break, too, but in terms of "just sitting there," "relaxing," and not doing anything else - that just goes against the way my DNA is put together. John has taught me that IT IS OK, even GOOD to sit and (by my definition) "do nothing," and just take a deep breath and enjoy life and the moment. Granted, right now I do that maybe once a week for 2 minutes, but he's working on it.

(5) "Good enough" is an acceptable standard. Not ALL of the time of course, but for a perfectionist to relent and complete something to a "good enough" level, it's safe to say that progress is being made. Instead of killing myself to reach the unattainable level of Perfection, sometimes it's ok to stop at "good enough." My definition of "good enough" is probably still closer to "perfection" than to "average," but I do have more time to enjoy things in life now instead of stressing out about reaching a ridiculous personal standard. I regress, OFTEN, but you'll hear me say "that's good enough" where I didn't say it in the past.

(6) Discernment. For example, just because a book catches my eye and creates a passing interest in my mind, doesn't mean I have to buy it. If it's an author I've never read before, I check the library first, or add it to my Christmas list. This sure has saved us a lot of money! John periodically (and I mean, OFTEN) culls from his books the ones that he didn't really enjoy or won't read again. I've followed his example, critically examining my shelves for books that I wouldn't recommend to someone else. What remains are books that I truly enjoy and love to lend.

Sweater Solutions

2008-12-13T19:26:00.007-05:00

Even though I lived in Florida for 18 years, I acquired a collection of sweaters for Christmas visits to family in Illinois and the occasional day the Florida weather dropped below 50 degrees.

But my favorite sweaters have grown "pilly," though I refuse to give them up since otherwise, they are perfectly fine.

I bought one of those gadgets at Bed, Bath & Beyond that is similar to an electric razor, only for sweaters ("fabric shaver"?). You turn it on, run it up and down the sweater, and voila, the "pills" are removed. It takes some time (and you have to stop every now and then to blow off the resultant fuzz from the motor), but the results are worth it.

Notice the pill action on this Tommy Hilfiger-lookalike sweater (before):

Now look at the right sleeve, which has been de-pillified:

1 sweater down, 4 to go.

DIY Decorating a Niche In the Wall For Less Than $20

2008-12-04T10:08:00.013-05:00

I've always wondered what to do with the niche in the wall or shadow box cutout thingie that some houses have. I've also wondered what to call them exactly. If it's deep, you can put a silk flower arrangement in a nice vase, but what about shallow niches that won't hold flower arrangements?

We have a niche (for lack of a better term) in an odd place, tucked in a hallway next to our master bedroom. (Instead of a niche by the front door or front entry, where I usually see one.)
It's shallow and the top is arched in a half-circle.

We've lived in our house for 2 years, and it wasn't until we were getting the house ready to put on the market that I was forced to deal with it. Before then, the niche contained a bunch of our wedding photos and other photos of John and me, along with some candles, and my brothers-in-law called it The Shrine. I guess that's code for "decorate this thing already."

A year ago at Michaels, I'd seen a promising wrought-iron thingamabob that looked like a garden gate and was arched on top. Pretty sure it would fit in the niche, though I'd need to measure it. It's still at Michaels, but I'd held off on buying it because I wasn't sure if that's what I wanted. It would be attached to the wall with many large holes, and if we ever moved, we wouldn't take it with us, so why spend the money on it? Indecision ruled, and procrastination settled in.

Then of course we had to put the house on the market, and on his initial walk-through, our realtor said that something else had to be done with the niche. (Not to mention, we were told to remove all personal photos in the house, and the niche was full of, um, personal photos.) Having already spent some money on other things to spruce up the house for buyers, I didn't want to spend another $40-50 on something that we definitely wouldn't be taking with us when we moved.

Semi-solution: Hit the stores and see what other alternatives there were. I had a vague idea of hanging "some kind of nice picture in a frame" in the niche instead. Went to Wal-Mart first because we might as well start on the cheap end. Sure enough, Wal-Mart didn't disappoint: I found a frame with that was really 4 connected frames that overlapped each other, creating a kind of 3-D effect - better than a flat frame and perfect for a niche.

But that would hang on the wall; what about something to rest on the "floor" of the niche? It would look bare with just a hanging frame which wasn't very large. Headed to Ross, which always bothers me because of the general sense of disorganization that permeates the air. But good deals can always be found there, even if I didn't have a firm idea of what else to look for. John found a wrought-iron piece with votives that was simple but would work well (without contributing to the Shrine atmostphere I was trying to eliminate).

Next, the pictures for the frames. We couldn't use personal photos, so we turned to our travel photos. I selected a bunch of Europe photos that we had - choosing a mix of vertical and horizontal since the frame I'd bought had 2 of each orientation. I converted them to sepia tone using Photoshop Elements and printed them (at Wal-Mart, of course). Then we went through the photos and chose 2 horiziontal and 2 vertical. In the end, the 4 pictures were all taken in Rome, which suited our thematic senses: the Coliseum, the Borghese Gallery, the Saturn Temple at the Forum, and St. Peter's Cathedral.

Picture frame: $12
Developed pictures: less than $1
Wrought-iron votive holder: $6
Votives: already had, so $0
Total cost: $19

Here's the frame with the pictures:

And here's the finished niche:

The frame could stand to be bigger, but not bad for something thrown together in 1 day on a budget.

DIY Fall Centerpiece

2008-11-29T16:52:00.006-05:00

Everyone is switching out the fall decor for Christmas stuff now, but here's the centerpiece I made 5 weeks ago when we put our house up for sale.

I had to have a centerpiece fast so that I'd have SOMETHING on the table when we got our house pictures taken for a real estate website. Of course, already-designed silk flowers cost a fortune, so I used my Hobby Lobby birthday gift card, bought the separate pieces, and put them together myself. After cleaning the house from top to bottom (including closets! since that's what our realtor told us to do), "make centerpiece" was last on my list of things to finish before the house photographer arrived. I had just 10 minutes to put this together (then an extra 5 minutes because the photographer was late).

Total cost value: less than $30
Actual cost: $0 (because of the gift card)
Number of pieces purchased: 4 (container, floral foam, 2 bunches of fall foliage)
Tools: wire cutter
Time spent arranging: 15 minutes; I had to cut each stem off the "bunch" since they were held together by a larger plastic stem

It's not floral-design-school perfect, and I confess, I MAY redo it next year (take everything out and start again), but it's not bad for 15 minutes and a person with no floral arranging education.

Christmas decorating is next, and I do have some money left on that gift card....

Dear Diary

2008-10-06T19:00:00.023-04:00

I started writing in a new journal this week. This is volume 21, and the cover is embroidered brown fabric. Not a journal I would have picked a few years ago, and it got me thinking about all the journals I've had.* (As an adult; I'm not counting my Ramona Quimby diary when I was 7.)

1. My first journal, begun on Monday, June 26, 1995. "I have decided to keep a journal of sorts, tracking my spiritual walk." I don't even think you can buy steno notebooks anymore?

3. Journal given to me for my birthday in high school, from my friend E.B.

4. The small, bright strawberries on this journal caught my eye in the store.

6. A journal whose cover consists of books on shelves. A must-have for a bibliophile.

7. Classic Winnie-the-Pooh and books. Nuff said.

8. This cover has (reproduced) signatures of famous authors on it.

9. This is the journal from my time in Papua New Guinea. I was there about 2 months, and I filled up the entire book with descriptions and experiences.

10. Leather journal that one of my college friends bought for me in Italy during his semester abroad.

14. This book had a pocket on the front. It was cool, though I didn't really use the pocket for anything.

16. While we were dating, John went on a trip to Rome and bought me this journal. He wrote a lovely sentiment on the inside cover. =)

20. I bought this journal at an Italian store called Fabriano, when we went to Rome in 2007. Fabriano is an AWESOME stationery store, founded in 1264. The paper in the journal and the cover are hand-fashioned using the same techniques the company used hundreds of years ago. And, of course, it's blue.

21. The newest journal.

The Joy Journal (by Barbara Johnson): Where I write about things that made me happy or made me smile (events big or small).

My next journal (also from Fabriano):

*I realized that I forgot to include one journal! It's been on my desk by the computer, to type up my "O History" posts. So the new journal is actually volume 22.

New Citizenship Test

2008-10-01T16:26:00.003-04:00

"The Citizenship and Immigration Services has re-designed the citizenship test for immigrants who want to become naturalized Americans, revamping the questions for the first time since 1986," according to Fox News.

The new oral test is 100 questions, which is given to applicants along with the answers, to study. The actual test is 10 questions, of which they have to get 6 right to pass. Fox News asked several people 10 random questions from the test (read the article). Using their questions, I got 8 out of 10. How about you?

Save Money on Groceries

2008-09-15T21:01:00.003-04:00

John emailed me about this article: Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Food.

Highlights include #9 - Stop Using Recipes, #8 - Shop Online, and #6 - Make a Core Menu.

I do like the idea of making a core menu that's used every week, with 2 nights for new recipes. I've been working on something similar, only not the same meals EVERY week. More like a 2-3 week menu rotation, with 1 night a week for new recipes since those always take (me) longer to make.

With # 9, the point is to go "off recipe" and make something on your own that uses up what you have lying around in the refrigerator, freezer, or pantry. But I was a little aghast at that, since I am the most horrible cook in the world. If anything, I have learned NOT to go off recipe (and John totally agrees with me), unless it's something I have cooked a thousand times (like stir fry or enchiladas). I am HORRIBLE at throwing something together and expecting it to taste good. Seriously, I might as well throw the ingredients in the trash instead, since we wouldn't enjoy the final product anyway!

However, it IS a good point, and I HAVE drastically improved my cooking skills, considering that I basically started barely knowing how to boil water. Following this tip - maybe half the time - would certainly be a crash course in trial-and-error cooking. And as my friend Melissa says, if it doesn't work out, that's what the backup frozen pizza is for.

Something Blue

2008-09-11T11:35:00.003-04:00

My sister sent me this photo of a runway dress from somewhere. Because she knows me so well, what style I like and of course, that I love blue.

I would LOVE to have this dress. Though I might chop off the random yellow ribbon. Maybe.

And I'd be smiling when I wore it.

Times like these make me want to get a sewing machine, find a similar pattern, and wish I was a competent seamstress.

This is why Photoshop and the Clone Stamp are awesome

2008-08-28T18:43:00.006-04:00

I've been choosing the next round of pictures to go in a scrapbook, and retouching and improving as necessary.

Got a background face in your picture that distracts from the main subject(s)?

No problem. CLONE STAMP!

Exhibit A: Before Clone Stamp

Exhibit B: After Clone Stamp

I rest my case.

Mediterranean Cruise 2008: By the Numbers

2008-07-31T07:05:00.004-04:00

I posted .006% of the pictures we took on the cruise, but here are some of the facts:

Countries visited: 5 (Italy, Monaco, Spain, Tunisia, Malta)
Cities visited: 18 (Civitaveccia, Rome, Livorno, Siena, Monteriggio, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, La Goulette, Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Valletta, Palermo, Mondello, Monreale, Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi)
# Gelato consumptions in Italian cities: 5
Saw brides and grooms at different weddings: 3 times
Ruins visited: 3 (Pompeii, Carthage, Rome)
Times I felt seasick: 1 evening (FELT sick, NOT got sick)
Pictures taken: 1,621
Formal nights on ship: 2
Days on cruise: 10
Days at sea on the cruise: 2
Times I checked email/accessed Internet on ship: 0
Books read: 2
Souvenir plates bought: 9
Plates that broke before getting home: 0
Teacups bought: 2
Taxis taken: 1 (Rome)
Put feet in Mediterranean Sea: 2 times
Danced late at night on ship: 3 times
# Times people circled us on the dance floor to watch us dance: 1
Nights I DIDN'T eat dessert on ship: 1
Favorite dessert on ship: Desidera
Ate ice cream cones on ship: Um, maybe 7? (and once, 2 in one day)
Exercised on ship: 2 times (NOT counting miles of walking on shore each day!)
Latest we stayed up on cruise: 2:30 a.m.
Hard Rock T-shirts bought: 2 (Malta, Barcelona)
Other T-shirts bought: 1
Swam in pool on ship: 0 times
Got in hot tub on ship: 1 time
Laid out on deck to tan: 1 time
Took advantage of free room service: 0 times
Found towels folded into animal shapes in our room from turn-down service: 7 times
Ate fish that looked like they took it from the sea and put it on my plate with head, tail, and scales: 1 time (Tunis)
Restaurant brought out the fish I was about to eat to my table, raw, so I could "inspect" its quality before cooking: 1 time (in Tunis, this is customary; we didn't request it!)
Times I got confused about what day it was/had to think about where we were: Lost count
Weight gained on trip: 2.5 lbs
Favorite port/excursion: Malta or Pompeii !
When I got home, mornings I was confused about why no one was available to serve us breakfast: 1
Times I thought what a great trip this was: Lost count!

Mediterranean Cruise 2008: Highlights

2008-07-30T11:40:00.021-04:00

We got back from our cruise of the western Mediterranean, and I'm itching to post some pictures! John hasn't uploaded them to Flickr yet, so here are some preview highlights. I'm limiting myself to 9 for now, or I'd be here all day posting pictures to the blog.

Our ship, the MS Noordam from the Holland America Line (docked in Monte Carlo):

Touching the Mediterranean Sea at Mondello, in Sicily:

Walking in the ruins of Pompeii:

Climbing the mountains in Monte Carlo, Monaco:

On Mom & Dad's deck at the back of the ship on one of the formal nights:

On a rooftop in Tunis:

At the ruins of Carthage in Tunisia:

Riding a camel in Tunisia!:

And great food, of course, on ship; these are lamb chops with apple and mint chutney from the signature restaurant on board:

The dessert was probably the best part of dinner each night; here are some confections from the Chocolate Extravaganza (photo taken during a tour of the massive ship's galley):

And here are some facts about the trip.

Vacation IV: The Preview

2008-07-14T10:38:00.006-04:00

This summer has been crammed with trips:

"Vacation" I: Technically a work trip, I went to Dallas in June for the PCA's General Assembly. But it WAS fun, and it was a trip, so I'm counting it.

Vacation II: To Virginia for John's family reunion at the end of June, their first in 17+ years. (They couldn't remember.) Took lots of photos, went tubing on the Shenandoah, and got to know John's extended family better, right along with John!

Vacation III: Just got back from my family reunion in Illinois. Got to see one of my Jensen cousins whom I haven't seen in several years! Took about 450 pictures (though I lost the competition - my cousin Philip took twice as many), played games, celebrated Grandma's 85th birthday, sat around and caught up with about 45 cousins, aunts, and uncles. The usual chaos. It was great.

Vacation IV: We leave tomorrow for our Mediterranean cruise, which leaves from Rome, Italy. John and I, John's parents, his brothers, and my parents are going.

Today I'm unpacking from the Illinois trip and packing for when we leave tomorrow. I haven't packed this much for a trip since our honeymoon! My goal is to NOT stay up all night packing. And dusting and vacuuming would be nice too, but we'll see.

Signing off for 2 weeks!

I'm in a book!

2008-07-01T20:11:00.002-04:00

I stumbled upon the opportunity to be interviewed by Sarah Hamaker, who was writing a book about mothers who work from home. While I'm not a mother (yet), I do work from home, and she interviewed me for her book, Hired@Home: A Christian Mother's Guide to Working From Home. I'm on pages 11 and 14!

If you want to buy the book, it's available at Amazon.com, but I'm not sure about bookstores. Go check it out!

My dress is dead

2008-06-25T14:32:00.010-04:00

I've been putting together a list of clothes to take on our cruise next month and trying on dresses for the 3 formal nights (John already has his tux).

It's sort of like shopping, only in your own closet, looking at fancy gowns that haven't been worn since the days of chaperoning Prom and Homecoming as a teacher. (Wearing a fancy gown was the ONLY reason I signed up to chaperone those things.) Naturally, each dress must be tried on since it's been years since I last wore it.

One dress was my favorite, a simple cherry-red strapless floor-length by Jessica McClintock. (Used to LOVE Jessica McClintock and try on dresses for fun at the mall. I'm sure the clerks hated us.) At the time, the store only had one size larger than I needed, and there weren't any more of that dress available in the right size. So I got the dress altered down one size, to the size I needed, even though it felt like I had to lose half my lung capacity to wear it. The red dress was only worn two times, once to a boyfriend's company Christmas party that had a formal theme, and once to Prom in 2003 (sans escort).

Alas, yesterday when I tried on the red dress (key word: TRIED), it became clear that it didn't fit anymore. It fit everywhere except the last 5 inches of zipper. So the problem is not a bigger waist or butt (girls, that's what an A-line cut is for!), but a bigger ... ribcage??

Just to pursue any last shred of hope, I took the dress to be altered today. The seamstress got out the measuring tape and determined that I'd gained 3 inches in my upper storey, based on the zipper gapage. ?!?

So the red dress must go. It's one thing to try to lose weight to fit the butt or waist area, but this particular obstacle cannot be overcome. I'm still trying to decide if this is a GOOD thing. John thinks it is....

R.I.P. Red Dress. It was fun while it lasted.

(That's another teacher in the picture with me.)

Reunion Photo Shoot

2008-06-23T11:02:00.019-04:00

We went to John's family reunion this weekend, and I ended up in charge of The Great Family Portrait. (?! By default, as the only one with a tripod.) John's grandmother had already told everyone what to wear (a white shirt and dungarees - yes, she actually said "dungarees"!).

I've participated in many of my own extended family's photo shoots, but as a photographee, not as the photographer. My family mostly knows how to fall into place for these kinds of pictures, but John's family hadn't had a reunion in 15-20 years; they're not really used to taking up their usual spot for the big photo. So I Googled "large family portraits" and found some good tips. Here they are, including the websites. Tips I found most helpful to our situation (and my pathetically amateurish skills), I set in bold.

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Tips for Large-Group Photography

(1) From Photography-On-the-Net: Canon Digital Photography Forums

If you see a lot of "posed" smiles as opposed to real ones, try this trick. Have everyone fake laugh for 10 seconds. They will all probably say stuff like "man this is stupid" and some will laugh really hard to be obnoxious etc. but after 10 seconds of fake laughing, I guarantee it will turn into real laughing. Then after everyone settles down a bit, have them re-smile.... You will see how genuine the smiles are. You may want to take a few shots during the fake laughing as these sometimes come out awesome.

(2) From Essortment: How to take your own family portrait: group photography tips

Similar guidelines apply to finding the perfect outdoor spot for your family portrait. You don’t want the background and scenery taking away from the people in the picture. Your local park or recreational area will have plenty of options: around a gazebo or fountain, by some trees or flowers, or in front of a fence or open field. Avoid locations where light may reflect, such as lakes or windows of buildings.

Outdoor lighting can be trickier. You do not want the sun directly behind the group (it will be too bright for the camera) nor do you want it in front of the group (everyone will be squinting). Position the sun at a 45 to 90 degree angle to the group, thus eliminating both problems caused by having the sun directly in front or behind. Another situation to be aware of is any shadows cast by trees or buildings that sun may cause. When choosing a location and arranging the people, make sure that all members to be photographed and the photographer are in the sun or in the shade; this will keep the brightness of the photograph consistent and even.

When arranging people for a portrait, two steps should be followed: place smaller people in front and bigger people in the back, and arrange people in a circular or oval pattern. When children and smaller adults are placed in the back of a picture, they get lost; likewise, when larger adults are in front, they dominate a photograph. For example, in a small family portrait, usually the adult male will be seated in the back of the photograph, followed by the adult female, then any children or young adults. In a large family portrait, usually the adult men will stand in the back row, the adult women will sit in front of the men, and the children and young adults will kneel in front of the women.

Achieving a circular or oval pattern can be difficult, especially in larger groups. First, two important don’ts should be followed: don’t stand people shoulder to shoulder or one person right in front of the other, and don’t make a picture top heavy by standing two people behind one person (forming an upside-down triangle). To create a pleasant and balanced curve in the photograph, position people so that the top of a person’s head is between the eyes and chin of the person next to him or her. Sometimes you may need to utilize small platforms or step stools to adjust heights and keep the curve smooth.

Finally, the angle refers to where and how the camera is placed. First, the camera should be, at a minimum, at eye level with the tallest person in the photograph. By keeping the camera slightly above people, everyone’s eyes will look more open and chins will be raised, reducing the effect of double chins. Second, position the camera at the correct distance. If the photograph will be a full-bodied shot, then additional space needs to be added around the whole picture. (The additional space above and below the people should be equal and to the left and the right should be equal.) If the photograph will be a close-up shot, then additional space needs to be left above and to the sides of the people, and an appropriate cut-off point established at the bottom of the picture. The best place to crop a picture is between the elbow and the middle of the upper arm.

(3) From LightingMagic.com

When thinking of how you will pose a large family group, don’t try to do the entire group at once. Break them up and pose them as individuals. A good pose that works for an individual portrait is still a good pose. Just integrate it into the group. If there are separate families within the main group, try to keep each family together if possible. Try to build toward a pyramid composition with the taller individuals being near the middle of the group and those seated or kneeling on the ends. You can also work toward creating an inverted check mark which will produce a pleasing composition. It is important to not place small children on the ends but rather near the center perhaps close to a grandparent where they appear more protected.

To optimize focusing as well as insure that each person in the group appears normal in size, arrange the family group so that all individuals are about the same distance from the lens. If the group is quite wide, it will be slightly curved toward the camera on each end so the subject to lens distance is uniform.

Build groups around central figures such as mothers, fathers and grandparents. Start with these central figures and build onto each side.

Have individuals touching in some way such as a hand on the back of the person they are near or maybe a hand on a shoulder. This will create a warmer, more connected look to the grouping. When doing this, avoid fingers and hands growing out of unexpected places.

Parents holding infants should hold them on the side that allows their face to be lit by your main light source. If held on the other side their faces will be mostly in shadow.

Avoid having multiple heads parallel to each other on the same horizontal line. Also avoid having one head above another on a vertical line. Try to have all heads at different heights and on diagonals. A good rule of thumb is to have the chin of one person at the same height as the next person’s forehead. Avoid greater differences for adjacent individuals. This is accomplished by using chairs or other furniture for individuals to sit on. For example: While one person stands behind a chair slightly to one side, another person sits in the chair and yet another person sits on the arm of the chair producing a pleasing difference in head height and also creating a triangle or upside down check shape.

Except for the key central figure it is desirable to show only one arm and one leg per person. This simplifies the image allowing the viewer to see more faces and [fewer] limbs. This is easily accomplished by positioning individuals so that they are partially behind another person.

If there are persons standing, avoid placing others such as children extremely low to the floor. Instead, they could sit in the lap of a person in a chair but to one side avoiding vertically lined up heads.

Camera height is generally chest high for the individuals who are standing. If you have a number of individuals at different heights, you may wish to select a camera height that is about in the middle or slightly above the middle of the group. Being slightly high is preferable to being slightly low.

If there is one person in the group you can pick on a bit and have fun with it will take everyone’s mind off what is going on and lighten things up and help in getting better expressions. You turn this person into the family comic. It works in nearly all situations. Find the person that the others will enjoy teasing. Then you have shifted every ones attention from having their portrait made to having some fun with Uncle Billy. Uncle Billy will enjoy the attention in most cases.

When working with a large group, avoid having bystanders behind the area of the camera. When there are people moving around behind the camera (other than the photographer), it is inevitable that one or more of the group will be looking somewhere other than where the photographer is directing when the portraits are made. It is essential that everyone be reminded from time to time to direct their attention toward the photographer or wherever he or she requests.

If the family sitting is looked upon as simply several small sittings that are being combined, it may not seem near as difficult or as intimidating. Have fun with family sittings. Most people would rather have fun than act stuffy anyway.

(4) From Best Family Photography Tips

--Tip # 2 in "Family Photography Tips 101" is really a tip on backgrounds. As the Commander-In-Chief-of-the-Camera (CICOTC, for short), you get to decide where the photograph is taken as well as how much of the background to include in the picture. This particular family photography shot demonstrates tips on background, composition, cropping, posing, and lighting.

Since the location had boulders, we might as well take advantage of them with our posing choices. If the boulders weren't there, we would be much more limited in our posing options….

Unless, of course, you could convince them to form a human pyramid (a sure-fire family photography classic). However, in this photo, we have a man sitting on a boulder with his wife on his lap.

We also position Dan on the left, with one foot on a rock, pivoting toward the camera. The three others in the shot have varying amounts of their bodies blocked. However, their faces are all nicely visible, and that is what you ALWAYS WANT.

This particular photography pose works so well because each of the 6 people is using a slightly different pose, which when taken as a total composition, works extremely well.

If you run into a similar environment, it's recommended that you take several pictures ... some where the rocks are visible, and some where they are not. Then, decide which you like better.

--For the family photography photo above, all the people are positioned in the center of the photo. However, there's a significant element in the background (the tree on the left). We could have chosen to position the tree in the center of the frame (in the background, of course; do you think I'm an idiot?) or position it off-center, like we did. Being on the left produces a more pleasant overall composition.

And, as a nice bonus, the dramatic contrast of light and shadow in the background create a nice artistic look. As long as your subjects are not in light AND shadow, you're alright. However, if there is not enough light where your subjects are, you should elect to use fill-flash.

Here's a tip on using the correct metering mode. If your camera has a "center weighted-average" metering mode, you should use it in this type of shot, while focusing on the 6 people. If instead, you used an "evaluative" or "overall average" type of metering, thus including the partially lit background, the people would be under-developed, unless fill-flash is used.

--Quick tip: when practicing family photography, don't have everyone posing exactly the same way. Check out how many different positions the family in this photograph used. It's fair to count as "different," if one person is shown unblocked, while another uses the same pose, but may be partially blocked ... but never the face). Imagine how different the picture would look if everyone stood next to each other in front of the rocks. Does the [word BORING] come to mind? The most common mistake in beginner photography when directing a large group in taking family photography poses is not to have everyone's face visible. Just remember this general rule of thumb: The larger the group, the more slight positioning adjustments need to be made.

I also found some professional photographer sites with large family portraits.

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We had set a time for everyone to be ready for the picture, so before that time, I went around and told people what pose they should take for the picture, who they would stand next to or in front of, where hands and arms should go, etc. This saved time once everyone was ready (not to mention, it was 10 a.m. and roasting hot outside, so better to discuss poses in the air-conditioning, and not when the entire family waits while I talk to each person). Deciding on poses beforehand also served as the best way to make sure I was following all those guidelines!

Since I had to be in the photo as well, the only available person to take the photo was my camera's timer. So we only took 3 pictures (in spite of what I had read about the mathematical approach to "blink-free" photos in a large group). Here is the product of all this research, the best of the 3 pictures (ta-daaaaa):

(Things I would do differently: Put on my shoes!, notice that Mike still had his hat on, re-position a few people, and tilt the camera down a bit to center the group more and not cut off the boys' feet.) But overall, I think it turned out well (no blinks!), and it was fun to do.

A Penny For Your Thoughts (Part 1)

2008-06-05T21:47:00.014-04:00

Even though the title is a cliche (that you really don't hear anymore from people younger than 70?), I actually borrowed it from a scrapbook kit that was advertised online. It's an interesting kit, mainly because of the "copper" tin that hold the scrapbook and looks like a penny.

I don't want to buy this kit because I'm not that keen on the contents, but the cool tin and the idea for the scrapbook caught my attention. (If I could buy JUST the tin....) The point of the book is to "celebrate ten years that have brought 'change' to your life."

Since I am currently on the closer side of 30, I really had to stretch it a bit to come up with 10 things. 20 years from now, I'm sure the list will come more easily!

Here's my 10 Years That Have Brought "Change" to My Life:

(1) 1985: Our family moved from Illinois to Kansas, thereby leaving behind our extended family. Most of my cousins lived in the same vicinity, and our families got together often to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Leaving them was pretty hard.

(2) 1994: First semester of college. I came home at Christmas break, and my sister's friends asked, "What happened to your sister?" I had left home a meek mouse and returned, a more confident, outgoing person. Still have shyness issues, but at least I don't act like a mute in a group conversation anymore. Much.

(3) 1998: First trip abroad- and by myself. I'm independent in that I like to do things my way, and I know how I want them done, but I'm NOT independent in the sense that I don't like change and The Unknown scares me. The Unknown drags me, kicking and protesting, toward Change. QED, I avoid situations I'm not familiar with. Traveling overseas by myself was one of my worst nightmares before I actually did it. I spent two months teaching at an MK school in Papua New Guinea, then went sightseeing in Australia and New Zealand on my layovers, without doing any advanced tourist research at all. I just arrived at the airports and somehow managed great 8-hour sightseeing experiences.

(4) 2000: Fell in love with God's Word. Becoming a Christian at a young age and growing up in a Christian home, of course I read the Bible, believed it, and tried to follow God's commands. But that fall, I began to read a chapter of Proverbs in the morning and a Psalm at night, and I finally began to understand what David meant when he wrote about how he loved God's law. I'd had my (almost!) daily Bible reading times over the years, but somehow this season was different; God really used His Word to work in my heart.

(5) 2000: Colored my hair red. My hair had become that worst description a novel can use to describe a pathetic character: "She had mousy brown hair." Not beautiful brunette like Penelope Cruz or Anne Hathaway, but gray-brown hair that was best described as Blah. I met my friend Christy that year also, and somehow on one shopping trip to Walgreens, we bought hair dye. Red hair dye. Ironically, after applying the dye, it was disappointing, not really red at all. After consulting the toll-free Clairol help desk, we went out and bought a bolder red, which provided better (read: more startling) results. Several months and hair appointments later, I settled on a certain shade and found my True Hair Identity.

Part 2 to come later (not in another month - sooner, I promise!).

Madrid Scrapbook

2008-05-06T21:01:00.002-04:00

I finally finished the scrapbook of our Madrid trip in 2006. You can check it out here:

http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/album_display.asp?album_id=75492

Morning Reading

2008-05-05T09:57:00.005-04:00

I put together some kick-in-the-pants verses, along with some encouraging ones, to read in the morning after my alarm clock goes off, which hopefully will be followed by getting out of bed instead of lying there for another hour, worrying over all the things that need to be done that day. (Obviously, I can get a good start on those things by getting up and DOING them rather than lying about, stressing over the thought of them.) Beginning with my favorite admonishing proverb:

"How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man."
-Proverbs 6:9-11

"The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." -Proverbs 13:4

"[Your compassions] are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:23

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." -Psalm 68:19

"Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
-2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I'll probably add to the list as I find additional appropriate verses. These are next to the alarm clock, ready for morning.
Even if I'm not.

"The Pink Dachshund"

2008-04-07T14:16:00.004-04:00

I have an eye for All Things Dachshund, and was not expecting to find a nice story about one (albeit, a pink one) in Skirt! magazine, the Atlanta edition.

[I picked up Skirt! only because it was free; it took me a month to finally sit down and read it. I wasn't that impressed with it because (1) I'm not a big shopper, (2) I'm not rich, (3) I don't live the hip, urban/city lifestyle, (4) I'm not a feminist in the Gloria Steinem/ultra-liberal/any-kind-of-liberal sense of the word, and (5) the target audience of the magazine seems to be a combination of all of the above. Plus, easily 90% of it is ads, or ads disguised as articles. I know, I know, that's why it's free, but still. I will say that the brief profiles of women in a variety of professions - not just wedding gown designers or CEOs - were interesting as well.]

So I was hurrying through Skirt! until I found a piece called "The Pink Dachshund." All skimming screeched to a halt, and I enjoyed reading about a pink balloon dachshund that changed how the author viewed her boss.

Dachshunds are like that. They change the world for the better.

Return From Germany

2008-03-29T15:49:00.006-04:00

We got back yesterday from our trip to southern Germany. Here are some highlights of the trip, by the numbers:

Days on trip: 8
Adults on trip: 8
Students on trip: 10
Suitcases taken: 2 carry-ons
Movies watched on round-trip flights: 4 (plus TV shows)
Hotels stayed at: 3
Days it snowed: 5
Maximum layers worn at one time: 4
Days it rained: 2
Castles visited: 4
Palaces visited: 3
Churches/cathedrals visited: 4
Alpine villages visited: 1
Museums visited: 2
Towns/cities visited: 12
Passed Hitler's "palace": 2 times
Saw a German dachshund: 3 times
Saw a German shepherd: 2 times
Rode on a riverboat on the Rhine river: 2 times
Passed a frog crossing: 2 times
Ate apple strudel: 3 times
Ate REAL Black Forest Cake: 2 times
Ate bratwurst: 2 times
(Tiny) sips of beer: 2
Walked up and down a mountain: 6 times
Paid to go to the bathroom: 1 time
Pictures taken: 689
Traditional German foods eaten: (pork) schnitzel, black forest cake, apple strudel, bratwurst, potato pancakes with applesauce, potato dumplings, (warm) potato salad, schneeballen
Most unusual food eaten: Lung of veal
Times I'm going to eat lung of veal again: 0

We also were able to visit the Dachau memorial, the site of one of Hitler's concentration camps.

Below is a castle where the 33rd generation of the original family still lives. In the spirit of enterprise, they open part of it to the public to help pay for the upkeep.

Times I thought what a beautiful country Germany is: Lost count

Defending the Dress

2008-03-12T15:26:00.007-04:00

A long time ago when I read Reader's Digest on a regular basis because someone I knew had a subscription, I also masochistically read the "That's Outrageous!" section. I hated reading this section, which detailed odd legislation and court decisions (such as when a criminal breaks into someone's house and gets shot when the homeowner defends his property, then the criminal sues the homeowner for shooting him - and wins). The section was like watching a horror movie - you want to look away, but you can't. I couldn't believe some of the things that actually occur in this country, but I couldn't stop reading, either.

Today I ran across a story that would be a perfect candidate for "That's Outrageous!" (if RD still includes that section?).

Apparently, it is not against the law in Oklahoma for idiots to stick a camera under a woman's dress in public and take a picture.

Because, according to the state Court of Criminal Appeals, the woman is in a public space where there is no "reasonable expectation of privacy" (which is sort of the litmus test phrase when dealing with legal issues of privacy).

In a weird, twisted world, one could see how the court's argument makes sense to some people - the woman IS "in public." (The incident took place at a store.)

However, you'd think that there is a "reasonable expectation of privacy" UNDER a woman's dress. I GUESS NOT.

One of the dissenting appeals judges wrote, "In other words, it is open season for peeping Toms in public places who want to look under a woman's dress."

And the peeping pervert's defense attorney (why must we implicate poor random "Tom"?) blames the law for allowing such a loophole. Absolutely, utterly ridiculous. This means there's another issue to write your state legislator about and make sure that the LOOPHOLE is closed in your state.

In the mean time, I refuse to change my clothes in deference to the depraved.

Ladies, I say that when some jerk comes around with a camera and tries to pull this stunt, scream "Sexual harassment!" That kind of currency goes a lot farther these days.

And make sure you're wearing a beautiful dress, so that you'll look good on TV when you're interviewed.

Low-Fat Vegan Waffles

2008-03-08T11:30:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe from a friend of a friend, so I don't know where it originally came from. But it is good, especially knowing how healthy it is!

Makes about 3 waffles

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour [I use 1 cup of whole wheat flour, and eliminate the white flour]
2 T baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup soy (or rice) milk
1/2 cup applesauce

Combine the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the soy/rice milk and applesauce.

Pour into a lightly greased waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Serve with 100% pure maple syrup (regular syrup contains high fructose corn syrup).

Quick and easy for a lazy Saturday morning!

O History, Part III

2008-03-04T12:52:00.003-05:00

Previously, I had begun to describe how John and I met and started dating, using my journal. Part II is here. The next mention of John in my journal is the entry for Sunday, January 26, 2004. From the journal:

On Friday [January 23, 2004], I got home, and John STILL had not called. [We were going on a date to see the play Noises Off!, but no official pickup time had been established.] I called him at 6 p.m. - two hours before the show began!! He came 15 minutes earlier than the established time (he's always early). I figure this is God's way of forcing me to be on time.

On Saturday (1-24-04) we went to Phantom of the Opera in Orlando. I wore a black skirt with black hose, then sat between John and Mary in the back seat of Mary's parents' car! Awkward!

Phantom was ok. Paul [Mary's boyfriend] met us at a restaurant for supper after the show. I had an "argument" with John over paying for my dinner. He wasn't supposed to do that!

[A while back, my friend Yvette and her husband had gone to a pool party, and John was there also. Yvette said that John had a tattoo on his arm. I couldn't believe it - was it really the same guy? She said she was pretty sure it was. I wanted to know for sure. So Mary and I cooked up this scheme before we went to see Phantom, for how to find out about the tattoo. We thought about conversation topics that could lead to a conversation on tattoos, like body piercings. Then we planned out how we could bring up THOSE topics, which would lead to a conversation about tattoos. At the restaurant after the show, we got the planned conversation going, moving from one topic to the next until we got to tattoos. John said, "I have a tattoo." He rolled up his sleeve and showed it to us. Mission accomplished.*]

Then the four of us went to the Mall at Millennia, where we split up, guys/girls. Good talk with Mary. =)

Naturally, today I was all awkward around John at church and lunch. Back to the question:

Do I like John's attention, or just the attention???? Had a long talk with Christy, who kicked my butt, as usual, putting things in perspective. She said I was over-analyzing.

Well it's my spiritual gift!

Seriously, I had a talk with Mary later, and she told me some things John had told Paul at the mall last night. Basically: he feels exactly the same way I do: scared, doesn't want to smother/scare away, is interested, waiting to see how it goes, uncertain.

Lord, grant me patience!! May I continually seek You in this!!

[*After we were married and talked about that night, John said that he TOTALLY knew what Mary and I were doing, that it was so obvious. Maybe. Maybe not!]

Ruth's Cold Lentil Salad

2008-03-03T11:39:00.003-05:00

Got this from my friend Ruth. I suspect that she created it from scratch, but I'm not sure! VERY tasty and filling.

Boil 4 cups of water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown 2 cups of lentils in a small amount of oil (I used extra virgin olive oil), until color changes (about 5 minutes).

Carefully pour boiling water over lentils. Optional add-ins: 2 cloves crushed garlic, chopped or dried onion, a dash of Braggs Liquid Aminos, or a dash of sherry. I added about 1/4 or 1/3 cup of sherry.

Cook lentils until water is absorbed, and lentils are soft. (This took about 25 minutes.)

If necessary, drain any excess water and chill lentils in the refrigerator.

Then add and toss with:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 t basil
1 t salt
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (red) bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 cup coarse-chopped parsley

Serves 6+

My Everything

2008-02-28T11:46:00.021-05:00

Recent events have renewed my appreciation for my husband, for who he is and what he does. God blessed me so much more than I deserved when He brought John into my life. John means everything to me (next to God, of course).

John makes me laugh with his silly sayings and wickedly clever wit.

He knows me better than anyone else, almost reading my mind sometimes.

He spurs me to be a better Christian, wife, daughter, sister, friend.

His self-discipline is an example to this indecisive and easily sidetracked female!

He praises my strengths and dispels my self-doubts.

He plays Scrabble with my grandma.

He values being organized without raising it to the level of being obsessive-compulsive!

He is an English major in disguise; his reviews on his blog are well-written, critical, thoughtful, and insightful - and the words he writes to me are wonderful!

He is a wise financial planner and "saver," who makes me feel secure about our future, no matter what may come.

He is incredibly patient with me.

He values my family (and extended family) as much as I do, even when he doesn't understand our dynamics!

He encourages my hobbies - and knows how to calmly admonish me when they get out of hand!

He will eat almost anything I cook, and would even be happy eating the same 6 meals every week (if I wanted to do that).

He loves to read, possibly more than I do.

He's convinced me to like what I feel are my physical flaws - because he loves every part of me and tells me so, frequently.

He still honors his parents, even though he's not under their roof anymore.

He looks forward to the time when he can lead a Bible study and help others grow in the Word.

He fixes and enhances things on my blog and Facebook profile for me!

He is a hard worker.

He is a confident world traveler who figures things out even when he doesn't speak the native language.

He surprises me by mailing cards to me at work.

He doesn't object when I listen to my Celine Dion playlist on the iPod. And he buys me Celine Dion concert tickets just because he heard about it on the radio!

He listens to all of my stories, like when I recount my weird dreams.

He follows the biblical mandate to be the head of our home, even when it's difficult. (Er, even when I make it difficult.)

He goes to social gatherings with me even though he'd prefer to stay home and read a book.

He hugs me randomly because he knows I need it.

He lets me snuggle against him during a movie even though it might not be comfortable for him.

He means more to me than mere words could possibly describe.

Guest Review: From a 3-Year-Old

2008-02-26T12:04:00.002-05:00

Found this on the Mental Floss blog. A 3-year-old girl's review of Star Wars.

Hi-larious.

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=27687

Why Not

2008-02-21T18:06:00.012-05:00

When I was a senior in high school, I participated in a pageant. NOT a beauty pageant (I never would have done that, low self-esteem, anyone?), but the scholastic Junior Miss pageant. My 3 main reasons: My friends were doing it (so at least I wouldn't be participating with only Strangers); it would look good on my college applications; and I hoped it would help me overcome my severe shyness and boost my confidence. (Some of you have no idea what I was like in high school.) I prayed every night that I wouldn't win - meaning I'd have to do it all over again at the state level. (Not because I arrogantly thought I was that great - just trying to ask God not to apply His sense of humor to my situation.)

One of the interview questions was the infamous What is your favorite book? I've always thought this was a dumb question for people who enjoy reading a lot. A bibliophile reads many genres and types of books; it's difficult to narrow it down to ONE favorite (besides the Bible). I found out about the question from the girl who was interviewed before me, so fortunately I had time to come up with an answer (Jane Eyre, surprise surprise).

Since then, I tell people I read most genres except horror and trashy romance novels/erotica. Mystery is my second favorite genre, but I have to confess that Christian fiction is the fiction I read the most. I say "confess" because some people have a negative bias against Christian fiction, but that's a topic for another post.

When I come across a fellow reader of Christian fiction, we always compare notes about the latest books. I figure, I might as well share the opinions online. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I'm joining The Husband in posting my thoughts on (some of) the books I've read.

Enter: Mr. Rogers or Robert Frost

2008-02-19T14:58:00.007-05:00

One of our neighbors called last week to ask a favor. She was scheduled to have outpatient surgery, but her planned ride home had to cancel (a heart attack is a pretty good excuse). She asked if I could pick her up at 10:30 on Monday. Since I work from home and my schedule is flexible, it was not a problem. I arrived, as planned, at 10:30 a.m., expecting a short wait before driving the neighbor home.

I planned my menu for the week.

I hadn't done my daily Bible reading yet, and hadn't thought to bring my Bible, but there was a KJV Bible in the waiting room. Tried to read my three chapters and gave up after 10 verses, leaving it for when I got back home.

Talked on the phone for an hour with a friend.

Made a few lists.

Watched a surprisingly good kids' cartoon on Disney that cleverly includes classical music (but without a bunny or a duck).

3 hours later, I got home, after helping my (thirtysomething) neighbor into her house and making sure she was settled with everything she needed.

I'll admit, I was a little impatient about the delay, but I AM the Girl Scout Who Was Never A Girl Scout: I am always prepared. I'd brought paper to write on, books to read, and things to do, though I did forget a snack, which I usually also bring. I actually got several things done on my list of things to do that day, without the distractions of home (read: dog, Internet, laundry).

But I was doing something that not many people have the opportunity to do, and that, sadly, I have done rarely: Love my neighbor.

The church we attended in Florida has excellent evangelistic outreaches, which they describe as "loving your neighbor in a practical way." Providing free water bottles at the beach, as one church member builds a fantastically complex sand castle (he's won competitions). Washing the windshields of cars whose owners are attending the public elementary school graduation being held at the church. And other ideas that provide a forum for talking to people about Christ, while meeting their practical needs at the same time.

With our busy lives and culture of entertainment, it's easy to drive straight into the garage and close the door without ever saying hello to a neighbor. These days, the definition of neighbor is "stranger." But being a neighbor is more than just living next door to someone. It's sacrificing time for them, just as you would for a relative or a close friend. It's serving them without expecting anything in return. It's taking an interest in them, far beyond sizing up whether you can trust them or not to pick up your mail while you're on vacation.

The Bible doesn't provide a modern context when it instructs us to love our neighbor. But other passages point the way: Care for the widows and orphans. (Maintain the small backyard of the single mom next door, who lets the yard go because she has cancer.) Share with those in need. (Instead of selling things at a garage sale, set them out on the driveway with a "Free" sign, or join freecycle.org.) Practice hospitality. (Not just with the new people you meet at church, but also with new families who move into the neighborhood.)

This past week was the annual missions emphasis week at our church, to remind us of the lost all over the world and to support missionaries in their global work. It was also a reminder that I don't have to travel to another country to love and serve the lost. I can start with the neighbors on my street.

Family Valentine Weekend

2008-02-14T23:09:00.009-05:00

I'm on a quick trip to Florida (nice weather change) to attend a friend's bridal shower since I can't attend her wedding. John couldn't come because he had to work. =( On Valentine's Day, we had a family dinner with my mom's cousins who were visiting. Things I've learned this weekend, which includes a lot of family history:

--How to play soccer with a Florida panther.
--When my sister got her dog, he came with anxiety pills.
--My uncles put my aunt in the dryer when they were young.
--My parents have a huge, wonderful old roll-top desk that has always been in our house, for as long as I can remember. When he was in college, my dad bought this old desk, including its accompanying wooden rolly chair, for $10.
--My grandma used to play pranks with her friends on unsuspecting drivers.
--My dad was #297 in the Vietnam draft lottery.
--My sister thinks I'm "submissive."
--How to fold napkins into a heart shape.

But I still haven't learned how to handle missing John when we're apart.

Primary Focus

2008-02-06T17:28:00.000-05:00

This past week has been consumed by the primary election. I worked several days of advanced voting as a poll worker last week, which is offered in our county the week before every election. Then yesterday for Super Tuesday, I worked as a precinct manager. I've been stressing about it for weeks, but our elections office is very good about training their workers and providing support.

My alarm clock was set for 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, so I had planned to go to bed very early. But I didn't get enough sleep because

(1) I went to bed later than planned, and
(2) at 2 IN THE MORNING Darra decided she had a death wish - she began barking and generally acting as if it was time to wake up for the day, and WOULD NOT STOP.

Facing an 18 hour day on my feet with little sleep would be impossible without caffeine, but I managed it. God gave me energy all day, to the end. (Technically, I didn't feel like "crashing" until today, the next afternoon. Weird.)

My final task as precinct manager at the end of the night was delivering some items to the county office, where they were electronically tabulating the results. There was a huge screen in the room that continually updated the tallies, like C-SPAN (only for our county). Pretty interesting to watch the live updating as precincts reported in.

As I drove home around 9 p.m. (not too late!), I felt that sweeping sense of being a part of history - "my" precinct (not the one I vote in, just the one I managed) results were being counted, added to the others, and reported to the state, then reported nationally.

It was a satisfying end to the day. I'd prayed for a "boring" day, that people would come in, vote, and leave without incident. Prayer answered!

But I didn't want to ruin my nice evening by finding out the Final Results. Saved that for this morning.

Wrong on the Money

2008-02-02T13:26:00.000-05:00

I took the "Quarter Back" challenge over at Mental Floss and failed miserably. This quiz tests your knowledge of the images on 20 State quarters. I had to outright guess on one because I had no idea what the image even WAS. Either my knowledge of U.S. topography and history is sadly lacking, or else I need to travel about the country more. The average score (at the time I took the quiz) was 58%. My score - and it's a testament to the trust I have in my readers that I will not be shamed out of the country by posting this:

40% (8 out of 20). I'd post the full results showing right/wrong answers, but that would make it too easy for YOU to take the quiz. At least I pegged the Kansas coin correctly, since we lived there for three years. (There, a little clue for you.)

The last time I scored a 40% on anything: Abstract Algebra test in college.

My feelings of failure regarding this quiz: 10%.

Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce

2008-01-27T14:51:00.000-05:00

From The Complete Vegan Cookbook:

Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce

The authors recommend "any side dish rice and store-bought salsa" can be served with this dish.

Yield: 4 main-dish servings
Prep: 1 1/2 hours, including oven time [but this was my first time making it; hopefully next time will be shorter!!]. These enchiladas were REALLY, really good. It did not even taste like it includes tofu. As cold leftovers, it might resemble something you'd rather not think about, but it reheats nicely in the microwave. I will definitely make this again!

The sauce
2 cans (4 oz. each) mild green chilies, drained [I searched high and low for these, and could not find them in Publix, Walmart, or Kroger. I ended up using a jar of Mild Banana Pepper Rings. The final product still tasted very good, but I have no idea what it would taste like with the correct ingredient.]
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro [Um, I didn't have this, so I used up all my dried cilantro, 16 tsp. But I AM going to use fresh next time.]
2 cups vegetable stock [I used one 14-ounce can]
1/2 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced [I used an entire white onion]
3 cloves garlic, minced [I always use more garlic than it says; 6 minced cloves here]
1 T chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown rice syrup
1/4 tsp [non-iodized sea] salt
Several grinds black pepper [... or several shakes from dollar store pepper shaker]

The enchiladas
8 [whole-wheat] flour tortillas
12 ounces frozen firm tofu, defrosted and patted dry [The tofu I bought was 14 ounces, but I used the entire 14-ounce package, and didn't notice any taste difference!]
1 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
2 T canola oil
8 ounces Monterey Jack-style soy cheese, grated [um, I used real dairy cheese since I didn't want to drive a half hour to Whole Foods]

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

First, make the sauce: In a blender or food processor , combine the green chilies, cilantro, stock, pumpkin seeds, onion, garlic, chili powder, coriander, rice syrup, salt, and pepper. [I used my new Vita-Mix blender; I don't know how a regular blender/processor can pulverize the pumpkin seeds? I guess they can.] Puree, then transfer the mixture to a heavy-bottomed skillet and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. [How on earth can one person stir this frequently and do the next steps at the same time? I am not Wonder Woman.]

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas by heating them one at a timeover a gas burner or in a hot skillet for about 30 seconds, turning once or twice during this time. Wrap them in a clean tea towel to keep them warm. [Confession: I totally skipped this step. Didn't see the reason for it, since it's all going to get warm in the oven eventually. Not to mention, it will be stone cold by the time I get to it after the next few steps.]

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Set aside. Leave the remaining sauce in the skillet.

Crumble the tofu into a bowl and toss with the chili powder and cumin [I added a dash of each on top of what the recipe requires, because I included the 2 extra ounces of tofu]. Heat the oil over medium-high in a separate skillet. Add the tofu mixture and stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

[Set up an assembly line: tortillas, skillet with sauce, large empty plate, bowls with cheese and tofu, then baking dish.] Working with one tortilla at a time, briefly immerse it in the sauce remaining in the skillet to coat it lightly. [Be careful to coat it quickly and move it to the plate, or else the warm sauce will make the tortilla tear in your hands!] Place the tortilla flat on a plate, and, with your hands, place about 1/8 of the tofu and 1/8 of the cheese in a narrow heap across the tortilla, slightly off-center. [I probably used more cheese than it said to, ahem.] Loosely roll up the tortilla around the filling, and place it seam side down on the plate. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

Each serving provides: 592 calories, 34g protein, 29g fat, 8g dietary fiber, 54g carbohydrates, 1030mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol

Curried Bulgur Casserole with Garbonzo Beans

2008-01-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

From The Complete Vegan Cookbook:

"The fragrance satisfies long before this dish is taken from the oven. Warm and creamy in texture, it is sure to become a family favorite. For a variation, you may use cilantro in place of the parsley."
-authors Susan Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay

It certainly did smell good in the oven; John even made a comment about it. I liked this dish and would like to make it again - except that it was a bit on the bland side. I don't know if more curry should be added, or what could be changed to infuse more flavor. And I even used more onions than the recipe called for, which was unplanned! Perhaps because I used dried instead of fresh parsley? Any ideas for more flavor?]

Curried Bulgur Casserole with Garbonzo Beans

Yield: 6 main-dish servings
Prep/Cook Time: 45 minutes

1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur
2 T olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 green onions, minced [I used 7, the whole bunch I bought at the store]
1 cup fresh or frozen shelled peas (see Note below)
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained [I used one can of beans, drained & rinsed]
1 T curry powder
1/4 tsp salt [I used non-iodized sea salt]
3/4 cup plain soy or rice milk
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley [um, I used 9 tsp dried]
6 fresh lemon wedges (optional)

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in the bulgur, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onions, and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas, garbanzo beans, curry powder, and salt, and cook 1 minute, then stir in the soy milk and parsley.

Combine the garbanzo mixture with the cooked bulgur in a large bowl. Fold the ingredients together until well-blended, then spoon the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. [I used a 2 1/2-quart dish. Really, the other looked too small.] Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot - with lemon wedges, if desired. [Usually I don't care about the optional things, but for this recipe, the lemon wedges are NOT optional. They really added to the taste!]

Note: If using frozen peas, place them in a colander and rinse briefly under warm water to melt off any ice crystals before adding them to the dish. [I did this, but REALLY didn't see much difference, besides the fact that it's an extra step.]

Each serving provides: 293 calories, 12g protein, 7g fat, 13g dietary fiber, 49g carbohydrates, 126mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Roasted Spiced Rutabaga Sticks

2008-01-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

I got a cookbook for Christmas called The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook, which I requested because it divides up recipes according to the growing season, and then groups recipes together with the same vegetable as the main ingredient. For instance, "Early to Mid-Summer" includes recipes for beets, broccoli, cucumbers, snap beans, Swiss chard, zucchini, and summer squash.

I'd heard of rutabagas before, but I would have lost a game show round if I'd been asked to identify it from a picture. This recipe was sweet AND spicy, an unexpected combination.

Roasted Spiced Rutabaga Sticks

"The treatment here is similar to what I do with sweet potatoes - slick matchsticks of rutabaga with a spiced oil, then roast in a hot oven. The result is a spicy, sweet vegetable treat. If you want to multiply the recipe, use two baking sheets, rotate them every ten minutes or so and increase the roasting time as needed."
-author Andrea Chesman

Serves 2-4

--2 T canola oil
--1 tsp ground cinnamon
--1 tsp ground cumin
--1 tsp salt, or more to taste [I used non-iodized sea salt]
--1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground chipotle chile (or substitute another ground chile) [I learned my lesson with chipotle in the past; I used 1/4!]
--1 large or 2 medium rutabagas, peeled and cut into matchsticks [I like how that casually says to "cut into matchsticks" - that is 95% of the labor for this recipe. And I wouldn't say they looked like matchsticks when I was done. I don't have a clue what a medium vs. large rutabaga looks like; I just bought 2 and used both.]

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large sheet pan (preferred) or shallow roasting pan with oil.

2. Combine the oil, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and ground chipotle in a large bowl. Add the rutabaga and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared pan and arrange in a single layer. [The amount of matchsticks I had was not enough for 1 baking sheet in a single layer. I used 2 baking sheets.]

3. Roast for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally. Serve hot.

[The book doesn't provide nutritional facts, but other than the oil, this is a ridiculously healthy and simple recipe.]

Darra's First Birthday

2008-01-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

Darra is now one year old and weighs 13 pounds (which is one pound overweight!).

When we first got her in April 2007, we put her on the top ridge of the couch so she could see outside.
In the past few weeks, she has taken to thumbing her nose at her bed and sitting on the ridge of the couches. Apparently, we have raised her all wrong. She likes to get high.

John mentioned the big event around here, which was that it snowed twice this past week. It seemed to invigorate Darra, who enjoyed making tracks all over the back yard. The cold doesn't seem to bother her at all.

Organizing the Paper in Your Life

2008-01-11T16:25:00.001-05:00

The following are my notes from a lecture given by Barbara Hemphill on January 10, 2008 at Perimeter Church in Duluth, GA. Hemphill is the author of Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and Taming the Paper Tiger at Work, and her website is www.hemphillinstitute.com. She became a professional organizer before there was such a thing, starting in the late 1970s. As one who loves to organize, I thought it would be fun to attend the lecture, especially since it was free. Hemphill was friendly, funny, and offered valuable advice and insight in one short hour, with time afterward for Q&A. In these notes, words or phrases in quotation marks and italicized are direct quotes taken word for word from the lecture. Words or phrases in bold indicate they are from the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied Hemphill’s lecture.

Barbara Hemphill (BH)
The Paper Tiger Tamed: The Freedom of an Organized Life

-- Romans 13:11 from The Message: “But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.”
--What is “organized”? (answers from the audience:)
-A place for things
-Know where things are
-Be more efficient
-Better relationships
--Organizing is an Art TM (BH’s definition of organization)
(1) Does it work?
-Story of a vice president who had piles all over his desk but “couldn’t find anything” if he cleared his desk; he said the method worked for him. However, one Saturday a month, he had to go to the office to organize all his papers, thus missing kids’ soccer games and family time. After having BH come in to help him get organized, he said she gave him back that Saturday every month.
(2) Do you like it?
(3) Does it work for others?
-If you aren’t there, can others find it/use it?
(4) Can you “recover” quickly?
-If you went unannounced to BH’s home, you’d think, “SHE is an organizer?!” But if you call her to say you’re coming, she can have everything put away in 15-20 minutes – where it belongs.
--There’s an old adage: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” BH agrees with the first part of that; everything SHOULD have its own place. But “everything in its place” is not true because things will always be out – projects, kids’ toys, bills, etc. But you should know where it goes, to its assigned space, NOT to a random closet or stashed under the bed.
--WHY organize?
--“Organization is not about neatness.”
--“Organization helps you do what you want to do.”
--Mission statement for BH’s company: “To help individuals and businesses organize time, space, and information so everyone can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives!”
--“Organizing in and of itself has no value.” You can spend all your time organizing, and nothing happens.
--HOW to organize?
--Transitions in life force your organization to change
--If you want to know what’s important to people, check their calendar and their checkbook
--Everything we do needs a system
--Saying “I want to be organized” – what does that mean to you?
--BH doesn’t like acronyms, but here’s one that a customer of hers from India developed that she loves: “SYSTEM”
Saving
You
Space
Time
Energy
Money
--3 Essential Components of ANY System:
(1) Methodology
(2) Mechanics
(3) Maintenance
--Some examples of Methodology:
-Why do people organize photos?
Example 1: BH knows a grandmother who has a trunk full of old photos, just haphazardly thrown in there. When her granddaughters come to play, this woman lets them open the trunk, pull out the photos, and play with them by making up stories about the people in the photos. [There was a huge gasp from the audience here.]
Example 2: BH’s daughter takes lots of pictures at an event with her digital camera. Then she picks which ones she wants to develop. From those, she chooses about 5 pictures to blow up to an 8x10 size. She puts the blown-up photos in a book, and throws everything else away. [Another huge gasp from the audience.]
--BH said that it’s shocking to many of us who hear these stories, but this is what they want. Your purpose determines HOW to organize your photos.
--Paper Tiger Principle #1: Today’s mail is tomorrow’s pile….
-“Organizing the paper in your life is non-negotiable if you want a quality of life.”
-Paper is like the foundation of a building
-You must create a system to manage the new paper. Only then can you organize the old paper. This is so that you don’t have new paper coming in and increasing the size of your piles while you try to organize the old stuff. Plus, by developing a system for the new paper, when you organize the old paper, you may realize that you don’t need to keep all the old paper.
--Paper Tiger Principle #2: Clutter is Postponed Decisions ®
-Think about a time when you tried to clear your desk. You start with the pile on the right side of the desk, and begin to go through the papers. You start with the paper on top – “I don’t want to deal with THAT yet…. We’ll put it over here.” And so on, until you’ve gone through the pile – and all you’ve done is moved it from the right side of your desk to the left side.
--The FAT System TM
File is “I don’t know if I’ll ever use it, but I don’t have the guts to throw it away.”
Act
Organize actions, or what you need to do, in 1 of 3 ways:
(1) By Date:
-Remember tickler or pending files 20 years ago? When a report had to get done by a certain day, a copy of the request went to the manager and to the secretary to file. It was the secretary’s job to remind the manager about the upcoming report and to remind him to send it on the day the report was due. [I’m not sure if I’m explaining this correctly, since this kind of thing was before my time!]
-BH heard about a guy who was developing something called a SwiftFile, which organized action files by date. She liked it so much, she bought the company. [More on this later.]
(2) By Type of Action (for example, data entry for addresses & phone numbers)
(3) By Name of Project
Toss
--Paper Tiger Principle # 3: Half of any job is using the right tool
-BH promoted her “To Do Book” here, which is a little 3-ring binder about 4x6 size, with tabs for various areas of life, to keep lists and ideas organized. Tabs included Calls, Errands, Fun, Books, Gifts, Numbers, etc.
-After helping 200 individuals get organized, BH tried to figure out what obstacles all of them had in common, what was the same for all. What is the core of getting people’s offices organized? She came up with:
-The Magic 6 TM
(1) Desktop Tools
-Most people have trays on their desk, but they’re pretty random. You need only 3 trays: In, Out, File. These trays fall under the 3rd Essential Component of Any System – Maintenance. When the File tray is full, you file the papers. Whatever’s in the Out tray needs to go wherever it should go. And so on. [I have to say here that with the way I work, these 3 trays would be the death of me. I would let them pile up, and things put in the Out tray would sit there forever and probably be late or miss a deadline, while the In tray would just never be dealt with. Maybe I didn’t hear her explanation well enough. ? This was one of the few things that she said that I didn’t necessarily agree with.]
(2) Wastebasket (Recycle/Shred)
-BH encourages clients to use a shallow desk drawer for items that need to be shredded or recycled. When the drawer is full, it’s time to shred or recycle.
(3) Calendar
-Widely used, of course, but “there is no perfect calendar!” because everyone is different and has different needs; choose the right one for yourself and use it well.
(4) Contact Management
-Addresses and phone numbers. We have little pieces of paper and napkins scattered with people’s info on them; need a system for how to deal with them
(5) Action Files
-“I’m afraid to file it because I’ll forget to do it”
-Put that action in a folder, then set a time on a calendar to do it, with where to find the folder
-BH is working with MS Outlook to develop software for this kind of thing, only you get sent an email instead of having to look at your calendar
(6) Reference Files
-The key to this is an Index
-The problem here is labeling/categorizing. Do you put this paper under Car? Auto? Chrysler? Insurance?
--Paper Tiger Principle # 4: Hemphill’s Principle
If you don’t know you have it,
or you can’t find it,
it is of no value to you.
--“Organization is not a moral issue.” You can keep everything you want if you’re willing to pay the price. Example of one businesswoman who had literally tens of thousands of files and had to hire 2 people full time to maintain and organize them.
--People feel guilty about their clutter; visitors don’t like to go to cluttered homes.
--BH has concluded that clutter is a sign of some type of significant loss in someone’s life
--“Clutter is a sin.” BH believes clutter is a stewardship issue
--We can’t be all Christ wants us to be when we’re drowning in our stuff
--She likes this quote that she heard from someone else: “Having Christ and everything is no better than having Christ and nothing.”
--She’s never met anyone who got organized who said they were sorry!
--The Art of Wastebasketry ®: Worst-case scenario?
-When in doubt, keep the paper. BUT remember Hemphill’s Principle! (If you don’t know you have it, or you can’t find it, it is of no value to you.)
-Identify how you will use this paper or item
-Example: The melon baller in your drawer. When was the last time you used it? Why is it taking up space in your drawer? What’s the worst thing that could happen if I didn’t have this?!
--Paper Tiger Principle # 5: The Next Action Factor TM
-You look at something and it reminds you of all the other things you need to do
-BH’s favorite tool: the index card
-She has several located everywhere in her house
-Write ONE idea or action on each card, then it’s easy to get it where it needs to be because nothing else is written on it
-One index card is less expensive than 1 Post-It note
-BH bought a “pocket briefcase” from a certain catalog [I didn’t catch the name of it]. It looks like a wallet, has 3 slots, and is the size of index cards. She keeps blank index cards in one slot, business cards in another, and written-on index cards in the other. When she gets home, she takes the written index cards and quickly files them in the proper places.
--Paper Tiger Principle # 6: The Focus Factor TM
-Our problem is having more ideas than the physical body can carry out!
-Robert Frost, "The Road Less Traveled," the first line is “Life is difficult.” BH was so disappointed when she read that! Because it’s true.
-Before going to bed, BH identifies the 3 most important things to do the next day. Not a project to do, but the next step in a project. The next morning, she does at least one of the items on the list BEFORE she opens her email!
-Picture of a roadside construction sign: “Prepare for sudden aggravation”
--Paper Tiger Principle # 7: Asking for help brings wisdom!
-She’s concerned about the organization industry; professional organizers are either burned out, or they don’t get paid enough.
-People “get organized,” but after the professional organizer leaves, the office/house goes back to the way it was because there’s no system in place to maintain the organization.
-Remember the 3 Components of Any System: Methodology, Mechanics, and Maintenance. In terms of prices, Methodology should cost the most. It’s the Big Picture level, requiring lots of experience and knowledge, and costs $100-200 an hour. Mechanics is the middle level and should cost $50-75 an hour. Maintenance is the lowest level, worth about $15-35 an hour. Most people in the organizing industry put their price in the middle and do all three levels at that price – this is what causes the burnout and in some cases the improperly low wage.
--The Productive Environment Process TM
(1) Design your vision
(2) Eliminate your obstacles
(3) Commit your resources (time, energy, money, space)
(4) Select your tools
-80% of what an organization consultant does is to help people choose and use the right tools
-Organization isn’t about stuff but about the people; you can’t do #4 without learning about #1-3
-We all organize in different ways, therefore we need different tools
(5) Maintain your success
-If 2 years after a professional organizer came through, the organization isn’t maintained, the professional organizer failed.
--The Freedom of an Organized Life TM: How does that sound to you?
From the Q&A:
--Q: I used to work in an office and was organized because I reported to someone. Now I’m at home and I have a 2-year old, and can’t get organized!
--A: Kids cause “circumstantial disorganization.” What worked in one situation will not work in another. Example for kids: After Christmas, I watched what my kids played with the most, and put the rest in boxes in the attic. 3 months later, I got out the other toys and it was like Christmas all over again. You can have kids pick the toys they don’t want any more and give them away. Use colored shelves, boxes, etc. for toys. Have a “grab shelf” in the kitchen – anything on the shelf is ok to eat without worrying that mom had other plans for it.
--Q: How long do you keep bills? When do you shred them?
--A: The question I get asked the most. There isn’t one answer; it isn’t the same for everyone. Ask, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Example: You have a 15-year warranty. Throw it out after 15 years; you don’t need to keep it anymore.
--Q: How to cross-reference various calendars?
--A: Have 1 master calendar and duplicate it to the others. Example: She has a second calendar in a certain spot just for her husband, which shows BH’s travel schedule for the year.
--Q: I have file cabinets and drawers in my office that I inherited that are full, but they can be emptied. How to go about this?
--A: Empty the most accessible drawer first and fill it with action folders. For companies, I encourage them to have a Company Production Day [I didn’t catch the actual title she gave it], where everyone takes a day to organize their desk, go through things, and throw stuff out. Turn it into an event, make it a party. Feed everyone, hire a professional/industrial shredder. Are there things in your office you can comfortably throw away? The answer is probably yes….
--Q: What about the trend for companies to go paperless?
--A: It’s usually a combination of paper & paperless. The question is, how far back to go paperless, and what goes paperless? Think of obstacles, develop a plan, etc.
--Q: What are some common tools for organizing spaces?
--A: Choose tools based on space, how many are needed, etc. And leave space for room to grow, especially with files. A label-maker! A lower-level organizer puts like things together and labels things.
--Q: How to organize tax information?
--A: There’s a chapter about this in Taming the Paper Tiger at Home. It depends on your style. One example: Keep a file for any tax-related items and deal with it later, in April! Maybe not the best way. Best thing to do: This year, think about what made it hard to do taxes this year? Then make changes and create a system for next year.
--Q: You mentioned a SwiftFile earlier. What is that?
--A: It’s a portable file folder box that holds 31 folders (one for every day of the month) and 12 folders (one for every month of the year). You put action files for specific dates into the appropriate folder, and deal with the right folder each day. You can watch a free 1-hour video on my website on how to use the SwiftFile. [www.hemphillinstitute.com]
--Q: [This was my question!] I used to be a teacher and now have 20 file boxes of all my teaching stuff. I’m slowly going through it, but it’s hard to throw stuff out because I worked so hard on it and because I might return to teaching some day. Any tips?
--A: If you have room for the boxes and it doesn’t bother you, then deal with it later. If you have kids and move and life changes, you’re going to have to deal with it sometime…. Or take a sheet of recycled paper and write “Do 1 teaching box” on it. Then put it in the first Monday of the month in your SwiftFile. Then move the paper to the first Monday of the next month, and so on. If you’ve moved the paper 20 times and nothing has happened, what does that tell you?
--Q: How about organizing reading material, coupons, etc.?
--A: I sort my reading material by where I read it. I have a magazine rack by my hot tub, and put certain reading material in there. I have material that I read only when I’m traveling, and by the time I come back home, I’ve read it and gotten rid of it, and filled the space with the papers I collect on my trip. You need a system for catalogs and medical records, etc. – there’s a different solution for each one.

In addition to a copy of the PowerPoint presentation, we also got a copy of BH’s Productive Environment ScorecardTM for Individuals. BH said she completes this every January to evaluate her progress. Some things go up and some go down.

Cookbook Wars

2008-01-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

When I taught high school English, I waged three major campaigns:

(1) Try to get at least 5 hours of sleep each night.

(2) Catch students smoking in the female student bathroom next door to my classroom by using my youthful good looks to trick them into thinking I was a student also, though my conservative, decidedly UN-teenaged trendy clothes should have given it away, so that when I walked into the bathroom, they didn't immediately flush the evidence down the toilet. You'd think they'd learn to stop smoking in THAT bathroom, at least.

(3) Impress upon star-struck adolescents that cheating (which includes plagiarism) does NOT get you far in life, despite numerous multi-millionaire athletes' doping actions to the contrary.

It turns out that there's a controversy surrounding the new cookbook written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife Jessica. I bought Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food [published October 2007] because I liked the premise, the book's format is easy-to-use, and including comments from the Seinfeld kids (and Jerry) about the recipes is a clever addition. I was pleasantly surprised (or not surprised?) to find great humor throughout the book as Seinfeld tackles the monumental job of trying to get kids to eat healthy food.

But Missy Chase Lapine, the author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals, claims that Jessica Seinfeld plagiarized her book [published April 2007].

You can read about the lawsuit Lapine has brought against Seinfeld here. I hope that the allegation isn't true, but we'll see how it plays out.

In the mean time, student plagiarizers beware. Teachers know that you really DON'T write that well, and that if you were smarter, you wouldn't pick the very first article that appears in your Google search to plagiarize.

Wow

2007-12-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

For weeks, John has been referring to a "Big Present" he got for me and wouldn't even give hints because he said that ANY hints would give it away.

We gave in this morning and opened our presents for each on Christmas Eve. Of course, the Big Present was saved for last.

John gave me 2 tickets to the

CELINE DION CONCERT IN ATLANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is absolutely the last thing I ever expected! Every now and then, I've said that "if we are ever in Las Vegas, I am totally going to Celine's show." Like we'll go to Las Vegas for vacation or something.

I didn't know this, but apparently Celine is going on tour for the first time in years, since she settled in Las Vegas. John heard on the radio that tickets for the Atlanta concert were going on sale, and he bought them. He also gave me the new Celine CD, Taking Chances, so I can get caught up on the new songs.

The concert is January 17, 2009, so I have lots of time to figure out what I want to wear!!

O History, Part II

2007-12-14T10:31:00.001-05:00

Previously, I had begun to describe how John and I met and started dating, using my journal. The next mention of John in my journal is the entry for Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 9:25 p.m. From the journal:

So on Monday, I went to meet Penny, Kelly, Mary, and Yvette to get together and chat at Wendy's [the restaurant]. I felt like throwing up the whole time because right after that I was going to meet John at Carrabba's for dinner.

So I prayed and prayed: Please give us lots to talk about and avoid Awkward Moments!

We didn't have any problems. =) Thank You, Lord! [Some of the conversation covered the Italian language. I drank so much water, I had to keep going to the bathroom, so I was embarrassed that I had to keep leaving to go to the bathroom. Carrabba's plays "Italian language lessons" in the restroom, apparently, so I'd try to remember some of it to talk about when I got back, to "cover" for having to leave YET AGAIN to go to the bathroom. Later, John said it was kind of weird/funny that I kept doing that. His perspective: So you have to go to the bathroom. Big deal.]

From there, we went (in separate cars) to his Monday night Bible study, which consists of Dan & Laurie and another married couple. [This was not part of the original Date Plan, but John convinced me to go, and I didn't want the evening to end yet. This Bible study quickly became an important part of our relationship, and the two other couples played vital roles in our wedding plans and ceremony!]

After the Bible study, we walked out the door to leave [it was dark]. I was parked last in the driveway. John thought I'd already begun to back up, so he began to back up also - and ran into me!! I was laughing so hard, even the next day. My line: "John, if you didn't have a good time, you could have just said so." What a cool story!

Future dates that have been scheduled: On Friday, we're going with Paul & Mary to see a play and then Saturday is Phantom of the Opera in Orlando.

I had to REALLY hold myself back tonight: DO NOT CALL HIM! He didn't call either, but he has to call before 7:30 p.m. on Friday to let me know the transportation situation & meeting time, etc.!

In the midst of this spirit of impatience, I looked at my perpetual calendar for today and got sucker-punched. Today's verse:

Wait on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Just like that. Um, Lord, are you trying to tell me something?! Talk about direct.

But for the first time, I really do feel patient (in a different sense!), ok with waiting to see what happens longer-term. It's a little fun to just take it one day at a time....

O History, Part III

Visual DNA, whatever that means

2007-11-23T15:58:00.001-05:00

Stumbled across this site during online ramblings. Pretty interesting, though I did feel somewhat limited at times in my choices. Hey, not everyone is the same!!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I'm also not sure about the deductions based on my choices. Sophisticated? (or sophisticate? It's cut off.) I don't think so.... What does Love Bug mean?? Escape Artist - definitely. Anything to get out of making supper or avoiding stressful situations!

Book Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

2007-11-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

I can’t act to save my life, nor can I memorize a script, but I’ve always thought that the best part about acting must be the costumes and the set – wearing an antebellum hoopskirt or the empire-waist gowns of the 19th century; instead of reading about history, in a way, an actor can live it. PBS has produced a House series that enables ordinary people to do just that: “live” in a period of history for a time. I first encountered Frontier House and became fascinated by this new kind of “reality” show that was far more interesting than Real World. [Not that I ever watched Real World beyond horrible snippets as I channel-surfed. Those few minutes were enough.]

In Shannon Hale’s book Austenland, the main character also gets to live out history in 19th century England for three weeks. The title caught my eye at the library, and the premise seemed intriguing: a woman, named Jane, of course!, receives the chance to visit England and participate in a three-week “immersion” vacation in the world of Jane Austen, wearing period garb and interacting with other “ladies and gentlemen” according to the etiquette and social protocol of Austen’s time.

While “modern contraptions” like cell phones are prohibited, the ladies are allowed to wear their own makeup, bedside lamps are discreetly plugged in to electrical outlets, and the bathrooms have modern plumbing. The rules are not as strict as the PBS House series, but the establishment does try to maintain a 19th century atmosphere; if caught with a cell phone or other technology, the participant is asked to leave. Each person is given a different surname for the length of their stay to protect privacy.

Jane Hayes, the main character of Austenland, is obsessed with Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice, as portrayed by Colin Firth in the film version. Since her first reading of Pride and Prejudice in high school (on her own, not as required reading), Jane has compared all men to the lofty romantic standard of Mr. Darcy – and all have fallen short. After her most recent boyfriend debacle, she declares she is finished with men and prepares to be a spinster.

From the beginning in New York City and continuing through her role as “Miss Erstwhile” at Pembrook Park in England, Jane determines to shed her Darcy obsession but also struggles to find out who she is. Beyond an unhealthy fixation on men in breeches, who is Jane Hayes? Why does she attract losers and men who won’t commit to a relationship?

The book cleverly contrasts Jane’s daily “Austenland” interactions at Pembrook Park with her previous disastrous relationships. Jane views this bizarre vacation as a chance to rid herself of a hindering obsession and move on to being able to date men from a more rational, less fantastical, perspective.

A hard thing to accomplish in a world of make-believe that’s not imaginary.

Not a natural actress, Jane has difficulty striking a balance between playing her “part” without feeling silly – and falling more deeply into obsession, now that her Austen fantasy has come to life. She looks for her own Mr. Darcy among the gentlemen at Pembrook Park and is continually disappointed. Her plan to treat the three weeks in England as therapy is failing; she uses her contraband cell phone to ask for a background check on a Darcy-like actor and sneaks off to watch American basketball with an out-of-character “gardener.” After an incident that leaves her shaken, Jane decides to get serious and throw herself into the role in the time she has left, preparing to conquer her obsession once and for all.

Jane comes to see that it was a foolish impulse to swear off men and that mingling with characters who are similar to Mr. Darcy is only superficially satisfying, since they are only characters, after all. She discovers that fantasy isn’t what it’s cracked up to be – and that real life has more to offer than she’d believed. Pembrook Park teaches Jane that she was too intense in her relationships at home, treating casual dates like serious boyfriends on a marriage track and holding mere mortals to an unattainable fictional standard.

While the book chronicles Jane’s existential journey, it reads like a modern version of an Austen novel, taking some plot cues from Pride and Prejudice. The dialogue is both modern and uncannily Austenesque, and author Shannon Hale includes subtle tongue-in-cheek nods to Austen’s renowned style:

“I do remember the first night we met, how you questioned my opinion that first impressions are perfect. You were right to do so, of course, but even then I suspected what I’ve come to believe most passionately these past weeks: from that first moment, I knew you were a dangerous woman, and I was in great peril of falling in love.”

She thought she should say something witty here.

She said, “Really?”

Similar to the cleverly worked references to Shakespeare’s plays in the movie Shakespeare in Love, Austen fans will enjoy the many references to her works as Jane compares her Pembrook Park experiences to those in Austen’s novels. Lighthearted but appropriately introspective, Austenland’s wit will keep readers entertained, even as its plot engages readers to a charming end. Though some would categorize the book as “chick lit,” Hale’s superb blending of Austen into the modern story makes it a far more literary endeavor. One doesn’t have to be an Austen enthusiast to appreciate the storyline and repartee. And, in a refreshing break from other contemporary novels – perhaps to imitate true Regency novels, as well as Austen’s style? – Austenland refrains from coarse language and distasteful, unnecessary sex scenes. While it’s clear Jane has slept with previous boyfriends, we are spared the details.

I enjoyed Austenland, an unexpected find from the library. I’d never read any books by Shannon Hale, but this one makes me want to look up her other novels. It’s rare that I check out a book, only to go purchase a copy for myself. It will take its well-deserved place on my bookshelf, next to the original Austen novels.

Finally found it

2007-11-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

The world's smallest car.

I thought I'd found it in Spain:

Boy, was I wrong. Be sure to watch the whole video - it's hilarious.

I am not alone!

2007-11-12T11:33:00.000-05:00

There are so many other people out there who make lists - by hand - that someone started a blog about it (apparently a long time ago) and now it's a book.

I have already written a few times about how I am a compulsive list-maker (on paper), but this is fabulous news!

Speaking of which, today's to-do list (which I call "TTD" for Things To Do):

--Plan the menu for the week
--Buy menu items at Wal-Mart
--Clean the master bathroom
--Fold clothes
--And, GET SOME WORK DONE: like,

Return phone calls
Update work website
Upload more archives to new work website
Start processing the next batch of subscriptions

Sigh. I love lists.

Birthday Weekend

2007-11-02T09:02:00.001-04:00

My sister Gail and my parents came to visit last weekend for Gail's 30th birthday. I'd been looking forward to it for months and was about ready to burst by the time they came.

On Friday night, we went to Provino's, a local Italian restaurant where I could eat every day if I knew the amount of butter and pasta wouldn't kill me.

Gail opened her present from me/us: a scrapbook about growing up as sisters.
I'd thought of the idea a year ago, but of course only put the plan into action 2 months ago. Subtract being out of commission with the Lasik surgery, and the 20-page book was completed in 6 weeks. Whew!

You can see the inside pages here. Just be sure to start at the last layout at the bottom - that's actually page one, and work your way backward from there.

On Saturday, we went to the Atlanta Zoo, which I hadn't visited yet. The baby gorillas were the best part, with their entertaining antics and sibling rivalry. Here's the mama gorilla preventing one of the babies from pestering another baby. She also gave him a smack on the head for good measure.
One of the babies was obviously used to the crowds - or else had taken his cue from a toddler at some point! He hammed it up for the audience and stuck his tongue all over the glass.

On Sunday, we ate lunch at John's parents' house and finally got a decent picture of Monty and Darra together. Monty was all "ho hum, whatever" and Darra was ready to bolt. Not because she doesn't like Monty - she LOVES Monty - but because she doesn't like being posed. Yes, it's a posed picture. But who cares, it's cute!!
After Gail and my parents left for the airport, Darra was kind of down. She wouldn't even eat breakfast the next morning. She got quite spoiled with attention when they were here.
Now Darra's back to being stuck with just us. Poor thing.

O History, Part I

2007-10-18T22:16:00.001-04:00

For some reason, lately I've been thinking about how John and I ended up together. (Well, obviously because of GOD, but the details, I mean.) Looking back through my journals, I tried to find the first mention of John. Found it in Volume 15, on Monday, January 19, 2004. (I had met John long before that, but being busy with teaching, my journaling was few and far between at times.) With today being our 2-year-and-10-month anniversary, I thought it would be fun to look back.... From the journal:

Too much to write about, as usual.

Last Sunday, I went on a sort of not really double date: me, Dan & Laurie Gates, and John Ottinger. A few weeks/months ago, I bought John's extra ticket to Phantom of the Opera. We are carpooling with Mary and her parents (and Mary has a boyfriend, Paul!). So the Gates and John and I went out to dinner, then to hear a lecture by author Richard Lederer. We had a lot of fun. John's birthday was the next day. He turned 24, making him a little more than 3 years younger than me.

So I thought about him all week. He doesn't go to TNBS [the name of the singles' group at the time, Tuesday Night Bible Study] because he goes to 2 different Bible studies on Mondays & Wednesdays. This means I see him once a week. He teaches 5th-6th grade reading at Covenant's school but acts like an English major [smiley face].

I keep thinking about the whole dating thing. My main complaint is that he probably makes about $10,000 less than I do, at least. I said I'd never marry a teacher, which I'd be willing to change, but marry one who's way poorer than I am??!

But who am I to dictate to God, the Master Planner.

So yesterday I had everyone come over for lunch [at my apartment]. Later on, Mary, Paul, Elizabeth, John, and I went to the King's Brass concert last night, where I sat next to John. [Naturally, I was a little late, and found John waiting outside for me to show me where everyone was sitting.] Then we went to Steak 'N Shake, where I sat down first and John sat next to me. Then we went to my house to play a cool game of Paul's [Apples to Apples], which helps if you really know the people well who are playing it. John and I practically read each other's minds. Then we all went to see Mona Lisa Smile (10 p.m. show) because John said he LIKED chick flicks. I had gone to the restroom with Mary, and the boys had already sat down in the theater. Choice? Sit beside Mary on one end or John on the other. Hm. Sat next to John.

From some of his comments during the movie, I got to know him better (did the whole day of course. It occurred to me that I practically spent the whole day with him). I had told Mary a long time ago, repeatedly, that I thought it appeared that John "does not have a romantic bone in his body." Well ... again, with the movie.... Basically, I deduced that the boy is probably a hidden well of sentimentality and romance, which he hides under a cynical, sarcastic exterior. Hm.

So last night after the King's Brass concert, each time we got into our respective cars and drove to the next place, I totally wanted to bawl my eyes out. Seriously, I was holding back tears in the car. Mary and I got to the movie theater first, and I looked at her and she could see it all over my face. She hugged me and kept saying, "It's ok." I am such a loser. She's very patient and understanding.

Also, during the course of the day, John suggested 2 other potential outings for us (him & me): seeing Noises Off at the Henegar Center and going to his house to watch Pride and Prejudice (a 6-hour version). How can a guy who loves Jane Austen and "period dramas," as he calls them, not know about romance?? I don't know why I'm so stuck on this.

So yesterday there was A LOT of praying. "What is happening, God?? Please CALM ME DOWN!!"

O History, Part II

O History, Part III

A Closer Look at Tamar

2007-10-17T16:39:00.001-04:00

My Bible study this semester on the book Lost Women of the Bible has been interesting, learning about the cultural backgrounds and putting oneself in the shoes of biblical women (for lack of a better description!). The women in my Bible study group aren't shy about speaking up, which makes for lively discussion.

This week's chapter on Tamar fostered some interesting conversations, especially since Tamar is usually held up as a model of what NOT to do. When we think about Tamar, we usually think "prostitute." But Matthew's genealogy of Jesus includes only 4 women, one of whom is Tamar - and all of whom were "four Gentiles best known for their sexual escapades," as author Carolyn Custis James says. Why mention them in the lineage of Jesus? Why not include the great matriarchs like Sarah or Rebekah? In the rest of the chapter, James answers that question regarding Tamar.

Reading and discussing this chapter shed light in three areas for me. The first was a cultural understanding of the marriage and inheritance customs of the time. Tamar's first husband, Judah's oldest son, died (technically, was so wicked, God struck him dead - a coincidence his name was Er?).

Custom said for her to marry the next son, Onan, in order to carry on Er's line and pass the dead man's inheritance to a son. Next-in-line Onan, who obediently married Tamar, was not so obedient in the mandate to bear a son for his dead brother. The Bible doesn't really explain WHY Onan did what he did (or, rather, what he didn't do...); it gives the fact that Onan knew the child wouldn't be "his offspring" and records Onan's punishment. Really, Onan, was it such an odious task?

However, James explains that according to the inheritance laws of the time (I'll skip the math) Onan was going to inherit even more than what Er would have inherited as the eldest son. BUT if Onan and Tamar produced a son, the son would inherit Er's share, leaving Onan with his original small portion. (James also points out some other risks that Onan might have considered.) Instead of full obedience, Onan chose the route of selfishness and greed - and he paid the consequences.

James writes, "The stakes were high. It required extraordinary sacrifice that modern readers don't naturally appreciate, but God routinely calls his people to make sacrifices for one another. Sacrifice for the good of others comes with being his image bearer."

And that's the second idea - not that I didn't "know" that, but just being reminded in a fresh way that God expects us to sacrifice, and it's not easy. We forget what sacrifice means: "the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim." Something prized or desirable - like our will and our plans. James highlights that a lost lesson we can learn from Tamar's story is that of sacrifice.

The third aspect that stood out while reading this chapter was a reminder to look at the big picture. What is really going on here? James describes how the tale of Judah and Tamar appears in the midst of the chapters about Joseph, when the reader is impatient to find out what happens to Joseph in Egypt. An odd spot to throw in a seemingly random story about one of Joseph's brothers.

But the story about Tamar is also the story of Judah. He led the brothers in selling Joseph as a slave (Genesis 37:23-27), and James describes his continued fall: Judah "migrated into Canaanite territory. He lived among Canaanites, forged alliances with Canaanites, married a Canaanite woman, and ultimately started behaving like one. ... He seemed indifferent to his wicked sons...."

However, Judah's encounter with Tamar shook him up - and turned him around. Later, after Judah has reunited with his brothers and they leave to find food in Egypt, their meeting with Joseph reveals that Judah is a changed man. Judah offers himself as a slave to Joseph, to take Benjamin's place, and it was by this act that Joseph knew his brothers had changed.

Upon Tamar's shocking and public revelation that he is the father of her child, Judah finally repents of his actions and acknowledges, "She is more righteous than I." He had told Tamar that she could marry his youngest son and didn't fulfill the obligation; he didn't work to carry on his oldest son's name and therefore devalued the line of Abraham and God's promise; he left Tamar waiting in disgrace at her father's house; he sought out and slept with what he thought was a prostitute. (James points out, why else would Tamar think such a scheme as pretending to be a prostitute would work? Because she knew Judah's character, and he didn't even waste time on small talk.)

There is more discussion on this in the book, but James provides background and insight into Genesis 38 that offers additional - positive - lessons that can be learned from Tamar's story.

James also addresses the legacy that Tamar leaves behind at other points in the Bible:

When Boaz (a man of impeccable character and a direct descendant of Judah) took Ruth to be his wife, the elders of Bethlehem honored their union with a heartfelt blessing for Boaz that ended, 'May your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah' (Ruth 4:12, emphasis added). If Tamar is some scandalous skeleton in the family closet, why would anyone bring her up on a holy occasion like this? One would think that this was the height of bad taste and an embarrassment to the family. Yet Tamar is named without apology in a statement intended to honor the bride and groom.

Add to this the fact that just a few generations later, her name resurfaced twice when King David and his son Absalom both named their beautiful daughters after their great-great-grandmother Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1; 14:27), a fact all the more puzzling because back then a name was more than a label. It represented a person's character and destiny.

While I still can't figure out how Tamar's particular action was "righteous," I do have a deeper understanding of her motives and the story itself. Judah wasn't walking with God, and God worked his redemption through Tamar.

Bible Study for Fall 2007

2007-10-17T13:50:00.000-04:00

Our church offers several women's Bible studies on Wednesday morning, and the Bible study I'm in this semester is using a book called Lost Women of the Bible, by Carolyn Custis James.

The premise of the book is to recover "lost" women who appear in the Bible but have been categorized and stereotyped and labeled one way or another (by us, as we interpret the Bible), thereby diminishing the lessons that can be learned from their stories. From the Introduction:

Today, when we pick up our Bibles, we want to know how to be better wives and mothers. But we have other questions too. We want to know what the Bible says to those of us whose lives don't follow the traditional formula. Is there only one biblical track for women, or does God intend and take delight in our great diversity? Are women second-class citizens in God's family, or does he value us as much as he does our husbands and brothers? ...

Looking closer [at these stories], I began to see many women who, like me, didn't fit neatly into the traditional paradigm. Strong women like Tamar, Rahab, Deborah, Jael, Priscilla, and Junia have always posed problems for interpreters because biblical writers clearly admired these women and held them up as outstanding examples of godliness even though their conduct broke with accepted convention. They were daring, took the initiative, and courageously exercised leadership, even in their interactions with men. To resolve the conflict this poses, biblical interpreters often downsize their contributions to leave a more "suitable" impression or else reclassify them as "exceptions," thereby removing their portraits from the gallery of acceptable role models for Christian women. ...

Upon closer inspection, I discovered many women in the Bible had trouble fitting into the wife-and-mother definition of what it means to be a woman. They clearly embraced traditional expectations and tried desperately to live within those parameters, but ultimately found it impossible. ...

[Through the stories of these women], I learned God has a larger vision for women than I realized, a vision that encompasses the vast diversity of all our lives and that calls us to be more. It was clear, as I believed all along, that the Bible strongly affirms our significance as wives and mothers, but I was stunned to learn God values us just as much when our lives follow other paths. ...

[As I studied their stories, some] of these women tumbled off their pedestals - a painful process to watch, but also necessary if we want a realistic portrayal and not some airbrushed version of a woman to whom we can't relate. The Bible exposes their blemishes so we can see ourselves and gain a deeper sense of God's unrelenting love for his lost daughters. Some women were rehabilitated when my study uncovered stunning levels of godliness and the powerful influence of their lives on others.

After reading the Introduction a few weeks ago at the start of the Bible study, I was suspicious - is this a feminist interpretation hiding in conservative clothing? While I looked forward to learning new things about "old" stories that I've heard all my life, I was also skeptical about how much of the "insight" would really be mere speculation (especially the chapter on "Mrs. Noah").

But it has proven to be an interesting study so far, and I have thought more deeply about the lives of these biblical women than just reading the Bible chapter and moving on, as I've done in the past. There are still times when I feel there might be a little too much speculation, but I can't deny that it makes me examine the Scripture more closely - a sign of a successful study.

My New Favorite Blog

2007-10-17T13:15:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite scenes from Friends is the one where Joey is trying to apologize to Ross, but he says "I'm sorry" using air quotes. Classic encapsulation of how people can misuse the quotes.

I just saw this offering on the Blogger Dashboard: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. Though it seems to cover only misused quotation marks, it has the feel of Lynn Truss's book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves. You can view - and submit - examples of abused quotation marks, and the blogger's commentary is pretty funny, too.

(In case you're wondering, yes, that 's IS supposed to follow Truss, as Lynn Truss is ONE PERSON. Hence, the singular possessive 's is correct!! You don't just put a lone [plural] apostrophe at the end just because the word ends in s. Read your Strunk & White, people!)

Sorry. My favorite English class in college was Modern English Grammar.

An Early Halloween Tale

2007-10-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

I had Lasik surgery two days ago, on one eye.

There are several different "Lasik" procedures, and I had the one called PRK (don't ask me what that means). It means that the actual procedure sounds less terrifying than a description of a true Lasik procedure. (Which type of procedure you qualify for depends on the thickness of your corneas and some other factors.)

So I vacillated over this decision for days, whether or not to get the surgery. I had a window of time in which to get the surgery done because of my work deadlines. Just THINKING about deciding about the surgery made me nauseous. I tend to work myself up mentally about things like shots and certain women's doctor appointments, track meets, the first day of school each year, and so on. (My first year of teaching, I lost 5-10 pounds at the beginning of the year because I couldn't eat breakfast or lunch for three weeks, due to nausea from nervousness, anxiety, and stress. I tell people, you want to lose weight? Be a teacher for a few weeks.)

So I knew this would not be an easy experience for me, even if it's supposed to be a relatively easy experience.

Before a potentially stressful experience, I tend to pack every minute leading up to it with things to do so my conscious mind doesn't have time to dwell on it. That's part of how I work myself up - the Dwelling. I managed to eat a decent amount of lunch before we left for the surgery appointment.

I always take a book with me everywhere, and this time I had a bag of things to keep my mind occupied: 2 books, some writing/journaling I needed to get done, and a magazine. And the Lasik office has People magazine so I can catch up on things like the fact that Heidi Klum is married to Seal. They probably got married 10 years ago, but I just found out. Unfortunately, that didn't keep me occupied for long.

Finally, I had to leave John behind and go by myself into the procedure room, which has glass walls so everyone in the back waiting room can see what's happening on a TV screen. (I learned at John's Lasik appointment - do not watch the TV screen!! Pull your eyes away from the screen! You can't help but watch in horrified fascination as lasers and tools do things to people's eyes. After John's procedure a few months ago, he was fine and I had to work hard to keep from fainting.)

Another thing I had put in my bag at the last minute was the innocuous stress ball. In my very stressful years of teaching, I occasionally worked the stress ball, but needed my hands for typing and grading papers. Never really put much stock in the stress ball.

The stress ball is what kept me sane. I have the type that isn't foam but filled with a thick liquid that I suspect might be toxic if punctured. I worked the stress ball so hard, my hands started cramping. I wondered if, if I asked if John could come hold my hand, would I be the first patient to be such a wimp?

The whole procedure, from the time you enter the room until the time you leave, takes less than five minutes. It felt like days. The doctor performing the procedure was very nice, but to someone like me who gets worked up, he seemed like a demon at the time, just during those 5 minutes. I felt so nauseous and kept thinking, I can't HURL while there is a LASER pointed at my EYE for crying out loud.

While the stress ball certainly keeps one busy, my MIND was Dwelling on the procedure to the point of my brain being ready to explode. I started to think of Bible verses that I have memorized, and this came to my head from Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." Lift up my eyes ... maybe move on to something else. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." For a panicked second, I couldn't remember where it was from. Then I couldn't quite remember the exact words to Psalm 23.

Moved on to Romans 12:1-2, memorized in high school. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Let us not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will." I was pretty sure that wasn't entirely correct, but mostly right.

Then moved on to Hebrews 12:1-3, one of my favorites: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat at the right hand of God the Father." Hm. Let us fix our eyes.... Move on! Next verse! But I was stuck on that one the rest of the time.

(Hurl warning: details ahead. May want to skip to next paragraph.) For the PRK procedure, they give you a million numbing drops in your eye, then a tool is placed around your eyeball to prevent you from blinking. They frequently give more drops to wet the eye. You are supposed to look continuously at the red blinking light above while you're lying down. Then a tool that looks like it belongs to a dentist comes in the line of sight, and your vision actually jiggles while SOMETHING is done to the eyeball. With the tool. This was the worst part, mentally, even though you can't feel anything (I couldn't even feel any pressure, thank goodness). The doctor gives frequent updates like "only a few seconds left, almost done, doing great" etc. since one loses all sense of time. What felt like hours later, that part of the procedure was done. Now for the laser. The doctor asked me how I was doing, ready to move on. At this point, I was in serious danger of throwing up or fainting or both. It's a good thing the room was freezing. I made him wait a minute so I could work on not hyperventilating. Then we moved on to the laser, which he said was the easy part. At the pre-op appointment, where you find out the details of the procedure, the description reads that the laser is loud, and there might be a funny smell, but you can't feel anything. I was really concerned about the "funny smell" part. Funny, as in unusual, or funny as in it will make me even MORE nauseous, if that's possible? How nauseous can one feel before the next logical step occurs?? Thanks be to God, I did not smell anything because by then it was surprisingly hard to concentrate on the blinking red light overhead. My eye kept wanting to wander on its own. I kept thinking, this is the laser part - it is VERY IMPORTANT to stay focused on the red light!! Then it was over.

After what felt like a ridiculously short period of time, the doctor asked me if I was ready to sit up. As my nerves resembled a melted glob of jello, I opted to remain lying down a while longer. They commented that I looked very white (a comment frequently made when I'm getting shots, for some reason) and put a wet cloth on my forehead. Finally I felt able to sit up without falling over, my hand still convulsively curled over the stress ball.

Having said all that, a disclaimer is necessary. I'm focusing on the subjective emotions of this experience, but the facts are these: Thousands of people get Lasik all the time and think it's the best thing they've ever done. You don't feel anything. It doesn't hurt. And while it can be a little unnerving since you have a front-row seat and don't get knocked out like for other surgical procedures, it goes by very fast since the whole thing takes less than 5 minutes.

Mentally, I recovered pretty quickly, though I didn't want to rehash the physical aspects and compare notes with John yet. I can understand why, with PRK, they only want to do one eye at a time. There IS an immediate improvement over your previous bad vision, but it's still blurry enough to not be able to read a book or drive safely. And the PRK recovery time is 1-2 weeks minimum before it really starts to clear up. So during recovery, the two eyes are off-balance.

It's not as disconcerting as I thought it would be, and I haven't gotten headaches from the imbalanced eyes (probably because they make you take 3 aspirins 4 times a day for 7 days!). Once I put my regular contact in the other eye, the PRK eye just felt like it had first-thing-in-the-morning gunk in it, like if I blinked a few times, it would go away and clear up.

Another difference between PRK and true Lasik is that during PRK recovery, for up to a week, the eye can feel like it's burning and gritty, like there's something in your eye but you can't get it out. And you just have to live with that for a week. But I figure living with a gritty-feeling eye is fine, just because the surgery itself is over!!

Of course, one "knows" what the procedure will do - clear your vision - and one can read all the nice testimonials about it, but actually SEEING the results is pretty amazing. For the first time since 5th grade, I could read something across the way without aid (I'm nearsighted). Still hazy, but I could read it. I can't read a book with the PRK eye because it's still blurred close up (unlike nearsightedness, which is clear close up), but since nearsightedness blurs more the farther away you look, I can see the improvement more at a distance.

I took some pictures to give an idea of the change, using the un-PRK eye to compare. In my regular eye, I can't even see there's a clock on the bookcase (yes, I have TERRIBLE vision):

In the PRK eye, I can now see the clock (and if I squint a little, I can tell the time):

And of course, the eye will continue to improve; the change isn't as immediate as the true Lasik procedure. (Plus, these are just pictures, approximated as best as I could gauge.)

Onward to 20/20 vision and then I'll get the other eye done in a month. No more Harry Carey glasses!

Doodlebug

2007-10-06T17:44:00.000-04:00

Today I took a class on how to doodle.

Yes, you read that right. The local independent scrapbook store offered the class; the fee included pens, a book on doodling, and the author of the book, Maelynn Cheung, taught the class.

I wanted to take the class because it's cheaper to use pen and paper to create embellishments for scrapbook pages than buying many, many rub-ons and other manufactured embellishments!

Cheung was entertaining as well as a fountain of knowledge about pens and techniques. She alternated between discussing examples from her book, Doodling For Papercrafters, and showing actual page layouts that were passed around the group. She also acknowledged the cheapness factor that doodling offers.

Some notes from the class (when we weren't doodling around):

--M.C. recommends Sakura Pigma graphic pens, of which there is a variety of sizes
--She also recommends Sakura Gelly Roll and Souffle pens
--Permapaque (Permopaque?) pens can be used on metal, glass, transparency, and other non-porous surfaces; they can be found in the graphic design section of craft stores
--on p. 8 of the book, French curve templates are mentioned, which can help the doodle-challenged with drawing flourishes; other tools (not mentioned in the book) are Crafter's Workshop templates (can be found at Dick Blick stores or online); and another tool that is like a flexible ruler, wire covered in plastic, which can be bent to create odd shapes and used as a guide for journaling (I don't know the name of it, and I couldn't find it online because I don't know the right keywords to search)
--Pigment vs. Dye: Pigment takes longer to dry, sits on "top" of the paper, the molecules are larger than those of dye so it lasts longer; dye dries faster, actually changes the color of the paper fibers, and doesn't last as long
--Pens should NOT be stored upright in a pretty container! They should be stored flat, horizontally, except for paint pens, which should be stored tip-down
--Gel pens frequently "stop working" and seem to dry out even though there is enough ink left inside; DON'T shake the pens - this creates air bubbles and makes the problem worse
--To keep gel pens working, use the pens on a regular basis, even if it's a few scribbles on scrap paper
--To try to unclog gel pens, write in circles on a rubber surface, like the bottom of a shoe or on a pink eraser; also try dipping the tip in nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol - just be careful to make sure all of the solution is gone before you use the pen again on archival projects
--The best white pen is the Uniball Signo, which is only manufactured in Japan; there are some similar American pens, but if they don't have Japanese writing on the pen, it's not the real thing; best to buy it online since it's hard to find
--White ink isn't actually ink; it's white chalk - hence the wide results you get with different brands of white pens
--You can catalog your pens by creating several 2x2 squares of black and white textured and smooth papers, then write in the pen on different squares to show what they look like and label them; hole-punch the squares and put them together on a ring
--If you prefer to trace, you can use a light table or a sunny window
--Don't be ashamed to use a pencil to make guide marks; erase and rewrite as many times as needed
--If using a pencil, don't try to trace the pencil marks exactly with a pen; the result will look stuttered and won't be smooth; use the pencil marks as merely a guide
--Erasers are important - pink ones tend to leave smear marks; use white erasers [I personally like the Pentel Clic Erasers because they're shaped like a pen, instead of a block and is a dollar or two at Walmart]
--It's ok to use watercolor pens over pigment pens; the pigment won't bleed or blend

Most of these notes are NOT in the book; I didn't include in detail here what Cheung covered from the book.

We did practice doodling throughout the class, of course, using some practice pages in the book as inspiration. Here are my doodles. Note: Except for the vines, these are pretty much copied from the book, as close as you can get without tracing. (I did a lot of "eyeballing.") This is not my own creativity!

Doodling for Papercrafters is an excellent resource for ideas and easy, practical techniques. It's a tool every papercrafter - and scrapbooker - should own.

Distracted

2007-10-01T14:13:00.001-04:00

I was going to write about something else, but got distracted by the update on my Blogger Dashboard. So instead of writing what I'd originally planned, which I can't even remember what that was anyway, I've spent the last 10 minutes watching the new toy Blogger just came up with, called Blogger Play.

This is almost as addictive as CuteOverload. You can watch a slideshow of the latest pictures that have been posted to people's blogs. It's interesting that probably half of the photos appear to be from countries other than the U.S. (At least, at the time I was viewing. The foreign languages kind of give it away, not to mention pictures of obviously European architecture.)

I even saw a scrapbook page go by - from the blog of a French woman who does amazing work, along with her friends, who all have a site that showcases their pages. Not surprising that a country with a famous sense of fashion would also create beautiful scrapbook pages. I think I'll go crawl into my amateur scrapbook hole now.

Artichoke, Squash, and Red Pepper Saute

2007-09-26T18:48:00.000-04:00

(from p. 193, The Complete Vegan Cookbook) This was quick and easy to prepare (the rice takes the longest). Strong Mediterranean flavor and very filling.

Yield: [barely] 4 main-dish servings

1 cup brown basmati rice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium red bell pepper
3 T. dry sherry
1 cup diced yellow crookneck squash (I used one squash)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dill seed (I didn't have any so I used dill WEED...)
A few grinds black pepper
1 can (8.5 oz. drained weight) quartered artichoke hearts
2 T. fresh-squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
4 lemon wedges

Place the rice in a large, fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running water for about 30 seconds. Set aside to drain. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1/4 tsp. of the salt and the drained rice, then return to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer 45 minutes. Turn off the heat, and allow the pot to stand, without disturbing the lid, for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and discard the stem, seeds, and white membrane. Chop the pepper into 1-inch cubes. Heat the sherry with 3 T. of water in a heavy-bottomed skillet that has a tight-fitting lid. When it begins to simmer, stir in the pepper, squash, garlic, rosemary, dill seed, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and black pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, until the pepper is tender and there is still a little liquid remaining in the pan.

Meanwhile, drain the artichoke hearts, and remove any choke material you find (?? Um, I didn't know what that meant. I just checked all the pieces and removed a few of the outer "leaves" or whatever that can be hard to chew.) When the pepper is cooked, add the artichokes and lemon juice, and stir gently as you cook for about 2 minutes longer. You want the artichokes to just heat through. Serve hot over rice, garnished with lemon wedges.

Each serving provides: 225 calories, 6g protein, 2g fat, 3g dietary fiber, 45g carbohydrates, 449mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

Me, Myself, and Efficiency

2007-09-25T15:13:00.000-04:00

It's hard for me to sit still and do literally nothing. It's not in me, though John has tried to instill it. I always have to be "getting something done" on my never-ending to-do list. I don't follow the familiar maxim, "Stop and smell the roses." I want to, but I don't have time at that moment; instead, I add it to my list of things to do: Next week - Stop and smell the roses.

My personality, psyche, whatever you want to call it is driven by efficiency and duty. My life is built on a foundation of "shoulds."

I should start dinner.
I should vacuum.
I should give the dog a bath.
I should exercise.
I should stop spending so much money on scrapbooking supplies.
I should do a better job of showing my husband I love him.
I should spend less time on Facebook.
I should write a post for my blog.

And the list goes on. I swim in an ocean of duty with waves of shoulds crashing over me. It is suffocating and overwhelming, living with constant guilt about the shoulds - even valid, good shoulds - that don't get crossed off the list.

In the recent September 22, 2007 issue of World magazine, Andree Seu wrote a column called "The Uselessness of Delight." Its theme struck a chord with me:

Delight is the most useless of things. It doesn't get the house clean or the bills paid. Useless - like flowers. Like rainbows. Like Beethoven's Ninth.... Delight covers a multitude of ... shortcomings.... [It] cannot be hidden. It finds an excuse to ooze all over the place. It seeks a getaway vacation with the beloved when it's not convenient. It asks different questions than duty. Duty says, "I should." Delight says, "I want to." Duty is efficient. Delight tends to be anything but.

What is less efficient than the story of mankind? If it were about efficiency, God would have wiped the plate clean and commenced with more promising subjects.

Ay, there's the rub. I hold up efficiency as an idol, but what if God were as efficient as I (pathetically) strive to be?

Where I would have endorsed tabula rasa, God shucked efficiency and turned to grace instead. I try to be a good imitator of Christ as Scripture urges, but leaning on my own understanding of the task has resulted in a works-based duty that has edged out delight - and grace and love and humility, and all the things God is trying to teach me.

Seu is right. Delight isn't efficient; it can be time-consuming and get in the way. Isn't it sad that I tend to avoid delight because then I can't cross items off my self-important list of things to do.

But delight is important to God. He delights in us (Ps. 147:11, 149:4) . He sees great worth in delight, and also instructs us to delight in Him and His word (Ps. 37:4, 112:1). Delight isn't a waste of time or an interruption of efficiency. It is knowing God deeply and living an abundant life, abundant not because we have everything we want but because we have Him.

This doesn't mean I need to toss my to-do list and throw caution to the wind and stop to smell the roses right when I'm late for an appointment, of course. But I do need to allow what Richard Swenson calls margin into my life so that delight has the opportunity to, well, delight me. Take the time to be still, delighting myself in the Lord so that a stop to smell the roses doesn't conjure up thoughts of inefficiency, but instead refocuses my thoughts on the great God who made the roses.

Hills and Valleys are Out

2007-09-13T14:10:00.000-04:00

John's grandma forwarded the transcript of an interview with Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life. While I'm familiar with Rick Warren (what media-conscious Christian isn't), I confess, I've never read the book.

But in the interview, he had some powerful insights into what we call the Christian walk. My top 3 quotes from the interview:

(1) "I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for."

(2) "God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings."

(3)
"In the happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
In the difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
In the quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
In the painful moments, TRUST GOD.
And, in every moment, THANK GOD."

Like any good journalist, I tried to find the original source of the interview online, but as I never claimed to be a PERSISTENT journalist, I didn't venture past Page 1 of my Google search. Here is one of the sites that offers what I think is the full text of the interview (which is short).

"New" Type of Breast Cancer Out There

2007-09-13T10:22:00.000-04:00

Don't worry - this is not a somber announcement. As a "member" of the FlyLady crowd, I receive emails from the awesome Flylady.net. Once a month, an email goes out to remind women to perform a monthly breast exam to detect breast cancer in the form of lumps.

This month, FlyLady included a link to a shocking story about a different kind of breast cancer that is more aggressive and under the radar - unknown even to many doctors and cancer centers.

It's called Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), and lumps are NOT part of the symptoms. This cancer is so unknown that by the time women are diagnosed with it, they are in Stage 4 - and there is no Stage 5.

Read more about what symptoms to look for, and, unfortunately, how little is known about this less-heard-of but no less important type of breast cancer.

Go pink!

Seeing Red

2007-09-09T15:33:00.000-04:00

Apparently, "REDHEADS are becoming rarer and could be extinct in 100 years, according to genetic scientists.... Some experts say that redheads could be gone as early as 2060, but others say the gene can be dormant for generations before returning."

According to the story, less than two per cent of the world's population has natural red hair. (HT: Evangelical Outpost.) Natural is the key word there.

In my forays, I had noticed the scarcity of red hair; now my observations have the weight of fact behind them (well, scientific speculation, anyway - is that an oxymoron?). Strangers comment all the time on my hair, though my sense of brutal honesty compels me to confess - to said total strangers - that my color, alas, is fake.

When women decide to color their hair, I think blonde is probably the preferred favorite. I was naturally blonde once. Now I'm naturally gray with a red facade.

John has declared many times that I should lose the red and go au naturel and embrace my gray. My response has consistently been: "I am picking -- years old. I am TOO YOUNG to be gray!!" I don't have kids yet. I just left my 20s. If I had never been a teacher, I think my hair would have remained mousy brown (not a beautiful brown) a bit longer. (I never think it coincidence that the gray began to appear my first year of teaching.)

But one can't remain red forever. I think it would look too obvious when I'm 50 or 60 with great red hair and no gray in sight. (Though my aunt's mother is in her 80s and still retains her natural brown-black color. Unfair!) I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to transition to natural color - in 20 or 30 years. Go to the salon and have them strip the color? Go blonde first as a transitional color and then phase to gray?

I am still not exactly sure how I arrived at red in the fall of 2000. I had never colored my hair before, or even gotten highlights. Then I became friends with Christy S.L., and anyone who knows her knows her strong personality! She wanted to dye or highlight her hair or something and asked me to help her. Somehow, at the store, it turned into picking a color for ME and then - I still don't understand how this happened - I bought a box of Clairol in some "safe" shade of red.

The ironic part is that after we finished, my hair looked like it had a slight red tinge, barely there, like we hadn't just gone to all the trouble. Surprisingly, I was disappointed the change wasn't more dramatic. A quick phone call to Clairol confirmed that while immediately coloring your hair again is not the best thing, it's not absolutely taboo, either. Back to the store for a stronger shade of red, and the second time proved drastically successful. A few months later, after only one more drugstore box, I took the financial plunge and went Salon. (Streaky red/brown/gray at-home dye jobs are not pretty.)

And when John and I got engaged, another sign confirmed this was Twu Luv: He put my hair appointments into our married budget.

But this article on the growing scarcity of redheads prompted some introspection:

(1) I personally don't have to worry about "extinction." At least, until I schedule it myself at the hair salon when I reach middle age.

(2) Perhaps this means I will grow more unique as time passes. Children will stop to stare and ask, "Mommy, what is that?" "Why, that's what we called a Redhead, dear. Stop staring and go ask for her autograph."

Darra, though she started out with lots of black markings, has really grown into her own red coloring (all natural, of course). We have almost the same color. (Really, is that good or bad, to "match" your dog??!)

This is how crazy organized people are

2007-08-31T11:03:00.000-04:00

And so the journey otherwise known as Organizing My Life ends one chapter and begins another.

I am going to switch planners.

Since my first introduction to Stephen Covey and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in 1994 at a leadership class at Huntington College, my planning system and organizers have been Covey-based.

The system proved most effective my junior year of college, when I went temporarily insane and became an RA, edited the student newspaper, and took my heaviest load of English classes (5 in one semester). Literally every minute of every day had to be planned to fit everything in. I still have the daily calendar pages from that year, because I still can't believe how ridiculously busy I was - and since I wrote down every single thing, it's practically a journal for that year.

During my first year of teaching, I even bought a new, updated binder, one that I LOVE, and not just because it has a bright, cheerful blue cover.

Covey's planner system is great, but I think it might be more useful to professionals (which I can't really call myself anymore) or students who are busy with set appointments during the day. I only have one or two appointments per day now; I've looked at the Covey monthly planning pages instead of the daily pages many times, but they are too small and don't seem to fit what I need. (This doesn't mean that everyone shouldn't read 7 Habits the book; I think every working adult should read it.)

I discovered FlyLady.net a few years ago but have only really embraced its principles this past year, when we moved into our first house. FlyLady is a completely different system - and so requires a different kind of planner, what she calls the Control Journal. Getting organized begins with the Control Journal; FlyLady uses just a simple, everyday, standard size 3-ring binder. I have been trying to fit the FlyLady system into the Covey planner, since I already had a binder I liked. Ok, LOVED.

But in trying to mix the two, I have been putting off getting organized because I wanted my planner to be Perfect (anyone who is familiar with FlyLady knows what I'm talking about!). Hard to do when the planner in question is half the size of standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, requiring any pages I created to be arranged just so and printed the right way and if I wanted to do double-sided to save paper, I had to arrange some more and keep it all straight in my mind to print it right. What a lot of work.

One of FlyLady's main principles is "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT." We sabotage ourselves and what we're trying to do when we try to get things done perfectly.

It's not hard to see why I haven't gotten fully on board with FlyLady yet. Perfectionism is preventing me from getting out of the starting gate!

Today I've finally accepted that integrating two different systems is simply not going to happen. Not to mention, using a standard 8 1/2 x 11 binder will be MUCH EASIER to work with than bothering with something half the size that I avoid using anyway because it's such a hassle where printing is concerned. Just like when John and I sat down together to choose our wedding date (it was August; the choices were December vs. June, and you can guess which one was John's choice!) and we literally listed the pros and cons of each because John knows me so well, I sat down and listed the pros and cons of each size/type of planner, and which would work best with FlyLady's system.

The Covey planner lost. I figure I can have John sell it, along with all the dozens of unused pages (financial, medical, automotive, blank, colored, etc.) and accessories, on eBay. Because I keep things in pristine condition, it's as good as new. Any takers?

Darra got her stitches out today. After running around in joyful freedom from being a conehead, she didn't help much with this agonizing process and instead followed her usual modus operandi: she went to sleep.

Darra Goes Elizabethan

2007-08-21T18:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Darra had surgery to get spayed. John and I took advantage of her overnight stay at the vet to go on a DATE!

We went out to eat at a new Italian restaurant and even got dessert (vanilla creme custard with amaretto/raspberry sauce).

Then we went to see the new Bourne movie. Whenever I watch movies like that, I think about how I am NOT cut out to be a spy. I would just give up after one attempt to evade the villains. No guts or wits whatsoever.

The movie ended around 9:30 p.m. I said jokingly, "Why don't we see another one?" And Transformers started in 5 minutes. And we didn't have anything else to do or any reason to rush home. So we paid and went right back in.

It occurred to me that unless we have Darra spend the night at John's parents' house, we won't be able to be so spontaneous again in who knows how long.

I picked up Darra from the vet this morning. She's pretty much stuck with 3 activities: trying to eat, sleeping, and being bored. I think she's resigned herself to the "elizabethan collar" for the next 2 weeks.

Recipe for a 100 Degree Day

2007-08-10T19:39:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens (can't remember which month), but I couldn't find it online in their recipe index. It takes minimal prep and is a cold salad. Nice for when the weather is over 100 degrees outside and the thought of turning on the oven or stove makes one feel faint.

Corn Salad

Start to Finish: 20 minutes

1/4 cup lime juice (or juice from 1 1/2 limes; I used 2 whole limes)
1 T. honey
1 jalepeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 T. snipped fresh cilantro or 1 T. snipped fresh mint (I used 3 tsp dried cilantro)
1/4 tsp salt
6 fresh ears of corn, husked and cleaned; or 3 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed (I used the frozen/thawed corn)
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves (I used a whole bag of salad spinach)
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (I just diced it)
3/4 cup seeded, chopped cucumber (I seeded and diced a whole cucumber)

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey until well-combined. Stir in jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and salt. Carefully cut corn kernels off cobs. Add to lime juice mixture. Stir in spinach, tomato, and cucumber. Serve immediately. Makes 9 (2/3 cup) servings. (If you make this the entree, I think it would be 4 servings.)

Each serving (if you stick to the directions): 59 cal, 1 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol, 78 mg sodium, 13 g carbo, 2 g fiber, 2 g pro. Daily Values: 16% vit. A, 17% vit. C, 1% calcium, 3% iron.

This is what Darra looks like after a walk on a HOT day. Once inside, she runs to her water bowl and collapses.

Spiced Lentil Soup

2007-08-02T10:04:00.000-04:00

This is also from the Taste of Home booklet. I love lentils! I include the original recipe here, even though I skipped all the chicken parts to make the recipe vegan. It was delicious.

1/2 pound Italian sausage (casing removed), crumbled (I chopped up the Boca Burger Italian sausage version to keep it vegan)
1/2 cup diced onion (I used a whole onion)
1/3 cup barley
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used about 1 tsp of garlic powder or more! instead)
3 quarts of chicken stock (I used vegetable stock instead, and only 3 cans of the 14 oz size since my crockpot isn't large!)
1 cup lentils
1 whole chicken breast, uncooked (obviously, I left this out)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped (or 3 T dried parsley)
1 can (15 oz) garbonzo beans with juice (I didn't include the juice)
1/2 to 1 pound fresh or frozen spinach
1 jar (12 oz) mild or medium salsa

Brown sausage, onion, barley, and garlic in a skillet. Transfer to a slow cooker or large stock pot. (For the record, I skipped the browning step. I just heated up the Boca Burger sausage in the microwave according to the directions on the box, then threw all the above 4 ingredients into the crockpot.) Add the chicken stock, chicken breast, lentils, and parsley. Simmer for as long as you desire or until lentils are tender. Remove chicken breast, discarding bone and cartilage. Shred meat and return to soup. Add beans, spinach, and salsa; heat through. Yield: 10 servings.

Zucchini and Corn Saute

2007-08-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home "clip and save" booklet that proved to have some nice recipes. This one will be added to my Quick & Easy file!

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet red pepper, thinly sliced (when I went to Walmart, they were actually OUT of red peppers, so I used 2 green peppers and diced a tomato for color)
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable stock
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 tsp garlic salt (I didn't have garlic salt, so I just used garlic powder, sans salt)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (ahem, I didn't measure, so I probably used more than that)

In a large skillet, saute zucchini and peppers in vegetable stock until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; saute 3-4 minutes longer or until the corn is tender. (It took longer than 8 minutes total to saute it to tenderness, FYI.)

Yield: 10 servings. (This is the original Yield amount given; I think it's a bit AMBITIOUS. Maybe 5-6 servings, if it's used as an entree instead of a side.)

A closeup of Darra with her cute paws.

Our dog can't do this

2007-08-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I looked at Cuteoverload. Surprising. Anyway, I was catching up and came across this video.

O. my. word. Hilarious.

Blueberry -Applesauce Muffins

2007-07-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

This recipe is from The Complete Vegan Cookbook, and it meets two vital criteria: yummy and easy to make.

Yield: 16-18 muffins

2 cups unbleached white flour (I used wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup wheat germ
12 ounces firm silken tofu
1/8 cup plain soy milk (I used rice milk)
2 T canola oil
1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries* (I added about 1/4 cup more to use the rest of the fresh package)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the sugar and wheat germ. In a food processor, puree the tofu, soy milk, oil, and lemon juice. Stir into the dry ingredients, along with the applesauce, until well-combined, then gently fold in the blueberries.

Place paper liners into the cups of a muffin tin. Spoon the batter in, filling the liners almost to the top. Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove from the muffin tin and allow to cool on a rack for about 15 minutes before eating. The muffins will stay fresh for a few days, stored in a jar or plastic bag at room temperature. (Cool completely before storing.)

*NOTE: If using frozen blueberries, place them in a colander and rinse briefly under cold water to melt off any ice crystals before adding them to the recipe.

Each serving (with original ingredients) provides: 143 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fat, 1 g dietary fiber, 25 g carbohydrates, 149 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

We thought the muffins were good, but Darra slept through it all.

Meant To Be

2007-07-07T16:29:00.001-04:00

I bought a purse today.

For many women, this is not a momentous occasion. But the last time I bought a purse was 4 years ago. I just don't buy purses; I have enough already: formal black, casual black, and brown. No special matching purses - too much effort to switch everything from one purse to another just to match my outfit du jour.

I don't buy makeup either, except to replace something that ran out. I think I'm still on the same bottle of nail polish that I bought in college. The last time I bought jewelry, it was only because I had a gift card to a store I never visit; I never find anything I like at this particular store, but I needed to use the gift card. Jewelry was the only thing I found that I liked. (Wouldn't have bought it without the gift card, though.)

It's not because I'm not a "girly-girl" or because I'm not feminine; it's more a matter of laziness and other things I'd rather do than figure out which shade of eyeshadow looks best on me. I'd rather read a book or organize something (or better yet, use the money to buy an orange freeze from Steak N Shake). I'll buy (reasonably priced) shoes or clothes like any normal female - just not a LOT of them, and not at department stores.

But I was at the Mall of Georgia this week to meet some friends, and we went around to the department stores looking for a blouse for one of the friends. We wandered into the handbag section, and there it was: the handbag that called out my name. I picked it up. Tried it on over the shoulder. Peeked inside at the paper stuffing. Knew that the bag and I were MFEO.* Agonized over buying the bag, as its price was more than I was willing to spend. Nothing like a Dooney & Bourke bag, mind you - which I had never heard of until this trip to the mall; holy cow, who spends that much on a picking BAG?? - but still, the price was more than something you'd find at, say, Wal-Mart or Target, my usual shopping haunts.

Eventually, the fact that the bag was not miraculously on sale combined with the knowledge that John would Probably Kill Me if I bought this purse since I'd already taken advantage of the 88 cent sale at JC Penney, I Walked Away from the bag. I spent the rest of the day thinking about the bag. I told John, with mingled pride and regret, the story of The Bag. I thought about the bag the rest of the week.

On Friday, John said, Why don't you buy the bag.

Today, we bought the bag.

And I have to say, I love my new bag. It is not my usual shade of monochromatic. It is pretty and Shabby Chic-ish and matches almost everything I wear.

This episode reminded me of a small exhibit of handbags in the museum at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. On display were artists' ideas of what type of handbag Shakespeare's female characters would have owned, based on the character's personality and behavior. Viola, Hermia, Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Hero, Juliet, and so on - each had a handbag on display. An interesting idea for an art exhibit. It was difficult to get a quality photo since they were under glass, but I did get a picture of Juliet's bag (since Romeo & Juliet was next on the lesson plans at the time).

I don't know if my bag "matches" me, but I do like it. A LOT. And the best part, a hidden perk I didn't discover until I got home: a paperback book can fit in there, along with my big wallet! I guess it really is my kind of bag.

Darra really didn't care much about the new purse. She just wanted to sleep.

*If you don't know what this means, your cultural knowledge is sadly lacking. Go watch Sleepless in Seattle already!!

Saute of Many Peppers & Garbonzo Beans

2007-07-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

I made this recipe tonight, and it is not only good but also quick and easy. It comes from The Complete Vegan Cookbook (p.196), so please don't blame me for the awkwardly long title!

Saute of Many Peppers and Garbonzo Beans

Make this dish in the late summer (oops!), when bell peppers are at their best. The colors satisfy the senses nearly as much as the aroma and flavors do. Serve in a bowl, with garlic bread and a leafy salad to round out the meal (from the book; of course, I didn't include garlic bread).

Yield: 4 main-dish servings

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/4 tsp salt
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
2 T olive oil (I used vegetable stock instead)
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
A few grinds black pepper (or a few shakes from the pepper shaker)
1/4 c. minced fresh Italian parsley (I used dried)
1/4 c. dry sherry
2 c. cooked and drained garbonzo beans (or 1 can, drained & rinsed)

[At this point, the recipe says to cook the rice. Instead of rice, I bought 1 "bunch" (?) of Swiss Chard and steamed it on a non-stick pan in 1/2 c. of water with a lid while everything else was sauteing.]

Cut the bell peppers lengthwise into quarters. Discard the stems, seeds, and white membrane, and slice across each section to create uniform 1/4-inch strips. Heat the oil (vegetable stock) in a wok or saute pan over medium heat, add the chili flakes and garlic, and stir for a moment before adding the peppers, onion, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, and black pepper.

Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, then increase the heat to medium-high and add the parsley, sherry, and garbonzo beans. Cook until the beans are hot, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a warmed bowl and serve immediately over hot rice (or the steamed chard).

[The book also conveniently provides nutritional information, but since I didn't use the rice or the olive oil, it wouldn't be accurate.]

Here's what Darra looks like after dinner and a walk:

The Rules, According to Darra

2007-07-03T21:28:00.001-04:00

1. If it's not nailed down, I will chew on it.

2. If there's a bug crawling or flying around, I will find it and devour it.

3. If you blow on my face, I will jump you.

4. You are required to be in my line of sight at all times.

5. If you leave my line of sight, I will find you.

6. If you are in my line of sight, you are required to pet me.

7. If your epidermis is within 2 inches of my nose, I will lick you aggressively.

8. If I ring my bell, you come running.

9. Sometimes, if you're good, I may give you a present. Like a tooth that just fell out.

10. I need A LOT of sleep.

Even if it's not in my bed.

Free Stuff: It's a Good Thing

2007-06-26T09:51:00.000-04:00

When my scrapbooking interest started months ago, I signed up to receive free e-newsletters from different magazines like Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks. In one of the newsletters, it mentioned that you could apply to be on a survey list and get free stuff. So I applied, and they picked me! They email me when a survey is ready on their website, I take a minute of my life to answer questions, and once a month, they send me something for free. Not a bad deal.

So I got my first freebie in the mail yesterday: 101 Things Yo u Can Do With Your Scrapbook Supplies. I haven't finished looking through it, but so far it offers a lot of good ideas for using what you already have in new, unique ways. Using what you already have - I like that.

When I first started this blog and was searching creation for what to call it, I stumbled across someone else's blog of a different color. She calls hers Very Pink. For some reason, I became a regular visitor to this blog of someone who lives in Texas and I DON'T EVEN KNOW HER. But I enjoy reading her posts because she is hilarious. You can find out a lot about someone from reading their daily entries, of course, and one thing that Very Pink does is post pictures of her 4 Basenjis (which, if you've never heard of them, are called "barkless dogs"). Every single post includes at least one picture of a dog.

Now that we have a puppy, I thought that is a great idea. Henceforth, all of my posts will include a puppy picture. Most of the pictures I've taken of Darra so far have been of her sleeping. She sleeps a lot, and in the weirdest positions. Quite immodest and unladylike at times.

Exhibit A: